


Trust

by Mysterous951



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, No Idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22359223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterous951/pseuds/Mysterous951
Summary: Ren Amamiya was the new student and there has been no luck on his side. His days were rough after being called out as a delinquent by the cause of his past. He was always the odd one out, but there came one simple moment at his new school when one petite and fragile looking girl gave him the courage not to let others get under his skin. Period after period filled with multiple rumors roaming around has made him have a heavy feeling weigh him down, until that one student gave him a gentle smile as he was heading to his next class. Just that one small smile and those simple words lifted every negative word right off his shoulders and his determination increased to where he felt invincible.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren & Suzui Shiho, Kurusu Akira & Suzui Shiho, Kurusu Akira/Suzui Shiho, Persona 5 Protagonist & Suzui Shiho, Persona 5 Protagonist/Suzui Shiho
Comments: 17
Kudos: 118





	1. New Kid

Ren Amamiya had difficulty on pulling through on his first day of school. The Shujin Academy was big and new to him. He didn't know what the school was like. All he heard was that it was big and famous just because of a volleyball champion being their schools coach. He was nervous. His palms sweated. His heart raced. His whole body felt as though he was about to collapse any minute by the cause of discomfort.

The young man took a deep breath before taking his first step into Shujin Academy, hoping to be prepared for what is to come his way as he attends this school. Once he entered school grounds, the rumors about his probation spread like wildfire which made him feel even worse. He felt as though that was his first punch in the gut. Ren didn't really want to be reminded of why he was there in the first place, but he couldn't control the rumors. He was treated like nothing, but a low-level, low-class, human-being who would never be accepted in this school's society. The young man didn't care much at first, but he never expected the increase of words would take him down a notch inch by inch. It made him feel as though he was being kicked to the ground, given the inability to stand up. Ren knew he should have predicted endlessly painful blows, but he didn't foreseen so much of it on his first day.

First, he didn't get much of a warm welcome from the man he was staying with. Second, the teachers treated him like he was nothing. And lastly, the students in his class just spread rumors all over schoolgrounds, making him look as though he's really the bad guy who would lose his mind if you ever looked his way.

All of this hurt, yes, but it didn't severe him as much. Not at first, at least. But as the day progressed, the ambience around him was as though everything was spiraling out of control. He felt he didn't belong anywhere after being pushed around by the students comments over and over. And all of it continuously lead him back to remembering why he was there in the first place. _Probation._ He didn't like that word so much. _Probation. noun: Trial period._ Whenever that word is said, it consistently ends up giving him small flashbacks on why he's here. It's never a pleasant thought whenever those flashbacks appear as shattered pieces of memories in his mind. Ren tried to shake it off to forget about it and tried to focus on surviving his year at this new school.

By the time lunch ended, he forcefully pushed himself back to his class. Ren didn't want to return, but he knew he had no choice in the matter. As he was heading back, he bumped into a petite looking female student. He gave a crooked grin and she looked up at him, giving no expression he expected to see. Ren thought she would give him a fearful glance and nervously flee away from him with mumbled words of plead. But she didn't. There were no signs of fear. No signs of nervousness. No signs of anything. She looked... empty. Ren was a bit worried because she just stood there, spaced out. He was about to nudge her a little, hoping he'd get any reaction from her, but before he could, she came back to her senses.

"What is it...?" She mumbled, finally noticing someone was beside her. "Oh... I'm in the way, aren't I...? Sorry..." The adolescent looked down.

Ren examined her for a moment, still in complete shock she hasn't reacted to his presence like all the other students have. Her jet black hair was a bit frazzled and effortlessly pulled back into a ponytail with a couple bobby pins holding back a few bangs. Her skin was a bit pale and he noticed the bruises she appeared to try to hide. Her dark brown eyes were dark and hollow, looking as though there was no sign of a soul anywhere inside her body. Her eyebrows furrowed into a look of sadness and the cuts and bruises sort of explained it. Or so he assumed. The young woman's body appeared frail as though she was about to collapse any minute by how weak she looked. 

Concerns crossed him ever so deeply to where all he could say was, "Are you okay?"

"Huh...?" She looked up, a bit surprised by his question. "Um, well..." The adolescent continued with struggle.

Ren finally saw some reaction by her expression which showed a bit of life from her which gave him some relief.

"Hm, you don't look familiar." The girl dodged the question. "Could you be that transfer student from Class D?"

The young man nodded, still filled with concern, but listening to her as she continues.

"Um, this might not be any of my business, but don't let the rumors get to you, ok...?" She looked up at him, finally exposing a soft smile from her faint pink lips.

He was a little taken aback once seeing a grin face his direction. Ren admired her smile to where it led him to saying, "They don't bother me."

He listened to himself say those words in his head over and over as though chanting them. Just hearing the words, _They don't bother me._ made it feel like everything was slowly lifting off his shoulders. It didn't make much sense to him seeing as to how it was just something so simple. But every negative word that entered his ears and swarmed around in his mind felt as though it just got erased completely. It felt as though it just never existed.

"I'm glad to hear that." Her eyes looked gentle as she continued to give that softly small grin. "...My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks..." She closed her eyes, giving a painful expression. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to drag on like that." The girl looked up at him, her soft grin turned faint. "Anyway, I have to go to practice... I'll see you around." Her eyes became hollow again and her voice turned into a mumble, sounding as though she was struggling to spit those words out.

After the girl walked past him, saying her farewell, he felt dumbfounded. Ren wanted to know what was troubling her. He wanted to help her. He wanted to somehow thank her for the sudden feel of positivity. He wanted to go after her to see what was wrong. But he felt as though it was too late since his pondering dragged him on to where he had no choice, but to resign and head back to class.

 _I wonder who that was...?_ He thought to himself, still filled with concerns, _What could have caused those bruises...?_ Ren asked himself, filling his mind with several outcomes, _Why did she look so empty when she said she had to go to practice?_ Countlessly unanswered questions replaced all the countless words of pain. His day was still bumpy, of course, it continued to as the day passed, but as it did, the only thing that was stuck on his mind this time, was _her_.


	2. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes things just can't be helped. Life has unexpected things to throw at one's face that can either turn out to be a savior or a disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... To be honest, I never really expected to continue, but thanks to Persona 5: Royal, it somehow helped. I have some ideas that can lead this to a somewhat decent story, but I can't make promises. Hope it's okay. Sorry ahead of time. I'm pretty rusty. Anyway, until then...

The last bell rung, waking Ren up from his daydreaming as he stared out the window most of the time during class. He looked up at the front of his class noticing he missed most of the session. A deep sigh escaped his lips, both disappointed he missed most of his learning, and relieved he didn't get caught for his lack of focus. He packed his things away with the plan of studying to make up for the amount of studies he missed. The adolescent wondered to himself on what the cause of it was, but once he left his classroom, he found the source of it, and that being the girl he met earlier that day that just so happened to be a few feet away.

He froze, wondering to himself on what he should say and how to thank her for the positive aura she gave him earlier. Once the girl looked over and waved in his direction, he hid a jolt of surprise, about to wave back, but noticed it wasn't meant towards him as one of his classmates walked passed him, waving at the unknown girl. A sigh of disappointment left his lips quietly, but he was a bit happy once he heard the girl that passed him say her friends name.

"Shiho!" His classmate called out with a smile.

 _Huh... Shiho..._ A small smile appeared on his face, hoping they'll bump into each other again some time soon so he could thank her properly.

The teen watched the two girls walk away, feeling letdown by his misinterpretation and lack of confidence on approaching her when he had that small opportunity. Ren let out another small sigh as he began to walk, thinking to himself on if he should go to the library or head straight home.

 _I guess I can get a book at the library real quick to read on my way home._ He thought to himself, finding his way to the library. He tried to remember the location and started heading there, hoping he was heading in the right direction. _Ah, here it is._ He looked above, seeing _Library_ above the door.

"Pardon me." A young, diligent looking girl passed by, entering the library before him.

Her appearance looked as though she had everything perfectly set. Her brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matches her hair color. Her eyes were abnormally deep red, which surprised Ren and intimidated him a bit to where he didn't want to admit he was a somewhat startled. Her winter school uniform appeared normal but without the standard blazer. Instead, she wore a black halter vest over a long-sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck. She wore the regulation black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose and black-brown ankle boots. She looked a bit different than the rest of the students.

It took him a few seconds to process her appearance before entering soon after her. Once he entered, it was small, but looked cozy in a way. Well, until he heard the other students _subtly_ continue the rumors. He groaned silently then rolled his eyes, heading to the front desk.

"Oh... is this your first time at the library?" The girl at the front desk questioned, "It's my job to explain the rules of the library to first-time visitors, so..." She said, explaining the rules. "You're only allowed to borrow one book at a time. Once you finish, please be sure to retur-- Huh?" She paused, "That badge... Are you a second-year?" Ren nodded with concern, "...Oh, could you be that transfer student I keep hearing about?!" She asked, sounding shaken.

"Yes...?" He spoke, sounding hesitant to even answer.

"I knew it..." She spoke lowly, "Um... I don't mean to be rude, but maybe you shouldn't come here..." The librarian said with worrisome, "See, you're scaring the other students too... Oh... No, I didn't mean that you can't use the library, but..." She grabbed the book to check it out for him before physically suggesting he leaves right after.

"I understand..." He looked aside, awaiting for his book to be checked out.

The librarian gave a look of apology, but didn't say a word to him after she handed him the book.

 _Ugh... what a great first day._ He chuckled, shaking his head, _Whatever..._ He ignored the negativity and opened up the book, beginning to read, not even focusing on his surrounding to where he bumped into the girl from earlier.

"Oh, A-Amamiya-san, correct?" She said, surprised they bumped into each other again. "Your name is quite infamous around here."

His eyes dialated a bit from awe and a minuscule beam of relief appeared across his face, "Yeah... may I ask your name? I'd like to thank you properly from earlier."

"Hm? Oh... you don't have--"

"Suzui-chan!" A man called out with a huge smile.

The look of terror washed over her face immediately after a man called out her name. Ren was filled with concern instantly, wondering who it was that caused that sudden change of expression so quickly. He looked behind himself and noticed it was the volleyball coach.

 _Hm...?_ His curiosity began once looking back and forth at Shiho and the coach, "Is something the matter?" He whispered.

"Huh? O-Oh... no... don't worry about it." She forced out a cackle, trying to look like everything was fine, "Nothing's wrong. Just nervous about my next game is all." She lied.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite team player." The tall man spoke cheerfully, approaching them with a grin.

Ren could sense very high tension between them. The air felt so thick to where you could practically cut it with a knife. The teen felt so wary about what's going on between the teacher and student. He felt an intense aura coming from the gym teacher and a very fearful aura, almost as if it was a feeling of despair falling upon the young girl.

Shiho was so pale to where it looked like she was barely capable to breathe. Ren noticed she forcefully tried to suck in air, hoping to calm her look of nerves. She looked like she was trying her best to hide her look of terror. But the forced grin, the sudden trembling, and the look of struggling to hold back tears gave off a lot of warning signs, as if begging for help. He was about to try and escort her away from the assumingly predator, but alas, he was too late.

"How's it going, Suzui-chan?" The man chuckled lightly, "You ready for our _private_ practice?"

Shiho compelled a grin when looking up at her coach, "U-Uh-huh... I'm totally... totally ready."

"Alright, let's go then." The teacher stood behind her and escorted her away.

Before they even took a step away from him, Ren grabbed Shiho's hand without a single thought. He was surprised by the sudden attempt of holding them back. He knew he had to think fast, so he spat out whatever the first sentence was going to be, leaving it a surprise for the both of them.

"I'm humbly sorry for taking my girlfriend away from such an important task, but as a boyfriend, I must take care of her health before she pushes herself over the limit." He forced a grin, gasping and face palming himself mentally, feeling like a complete idiot. _What the hell?!_ When he looked at Shiho, he felt like he was looking in the mirror when he sensed they were both shocked by the sudden words. 

"I beg your pardon?" The teacher looked afflicted, "There's no way you could be her boyfriend." He burst out an annoying laugh, "You two have just met, how in the world--"

"I'm deeply sorry as well, Coach, but my boyfriend is right." She giggled, "If I'm wanting to be the best, then I should take care of my health before anything else." She slipped away from him, trying to hold back her trembling as she hid behind Ren, grabbing a hold of his hand to try and make it convincing, "We should head home." She tugged on his hand, trying to step away hastily.

Ren's eyes opened slightly wide that she followed along, but tried to hide it as he placed a considerable smile on his face, gripping her hand firmly, showing he's here to help her. "You're right, love. I'm sorry for stealing her away." He chuckled, "If you'll excuse us." Ren bowed. 

He placed his arm over her shoulder as they turned their back on her teacher, escorting her away. The teens could sense a deathly glare focused on them, but it disappeared when they were out of that teachers sight. Ren sighed with relief, putting a firm, but gentle grip on her shoulder. Shiho suddenly felt safe in his hold as they walked away from the scene. A small smile ran across her face as she closed her eyes, finally breathing.

"Thank you..." She whispered softly, peeking up at him, giving him the same delicate smile she exposed to him prior that day. Ren looked over with a nod, smiling back at her. 

They walked as far away as they could, off school grounds. Most of the way through it's been nothing, but awkward silence. Ren wanted to break the ice, but he didn't even know where to begin. He felt nervous when still having his arm wrapped around her. The teen wanted to release her, but he felt they were being followed, so he kept hold until they reached the station. When they reached the station, he finally released her from his hold, looking around, before looking at her.

"It looks like we're safe." He said with satisfaction, "I'm sorry about that sudden grab and escort." He laughed uncomfortably, "I just couldn't leave you alone with, I'm assuming, such a dangerous per--?!"

"Thank you so much!" She hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest, "I'm so relieved that I can actually finally breathe."

Ren tensed up by the sudden grasp to where he didn't even notice his face turned crimson. His heart beat hard against his chest that he couldn't understand why it felt painful, yet also comforting. A small laugh slipped through his lips as he rested his hand on her head. He felt a jolt when he placed his hand on her head, but felt like she seemed to have relaxed within a second after.

"Well, I guess we're even now then." Ren cackled softly.

Shiho tensed up after realizing what she was doing, "I-I'm so sorry." She cackled, "Um... I..." She breathed out a small laugh, looking up at him with a relaxed beam, "Thank you again, Amamiya-san."

"Thank you, too Suzui-san." He grinned faintly back at her, "I bet if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have brought myself to do what I did back there." He rubbed the back of his head, looking away, trying to hide his blush. "Oh! U-Um... I'm sorry on such a stupid excuse back there. I didn't mean to place you as my girlfriend, it-it just came out. I'm sorry I wasn't thinking." He panicked, noticing too late.

He froze when seeing her smile still plastered on her face. "Don't worry about... if anything, I'm sorry I went along with it." A laugh escaped along with a look of relief and slight worrisome.

Ren stared at her like an idiot, feeling as though an arrow struck his heart. He felt lost on how to feel after what just happened. The teen ended up placing his hand on his chest, not understanding what exactly it meant. He buried the ridiculous thought and placed focus on the situation they ended up in.

"So... what do we do now?" Ren questioned.

"Good question..." She sighed, "Might as well keep this going." She joked.

"If it means helping you, then I'll be just fine with that." He spoke instantly, his eyes growing again, shocked of what left his lips, "Th-That's only if you want to. I didn't mean-- I-- Sorry..." He slumped with a groan, feeling like an idiot.

The air filled with silence again, but was broken once a stifled laugh escaped. Ren looked up at her, seeing a genuine smile glide across her face.

"How about we wait and see what lies tomorrow?" Her smile turned gingerly as her tone turned soft as though filled with complete happiness. "Okay?"

"O-Okay..." He breathed out, not knowing what to do next.

"Oh, this is my train." She noticed by the announcer, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Amamiya-san." She waved as she entered the train.

"Yeah..." He waved her off, watching her leave as the door closed, and the train left.

The adolescent sighed deeply, lost on how to respond towards what just happened. Stupid? Happy? Pathetic? The kid didn't know what was to come, but he felt confident on jumping through the obstacles that he knew he was going to face in the near future. And all of that was thanks to that young woman that helped him with just few little words on such an eventful day on his first day at school.


	3. Concerns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... I hope this was okay. I'm gonna be going along with parts of the story, but mainly add new things to try and focus on Ren and Shiho. So this will be a ride for the both of us lol Sorry if it's bad, still rusty. Hoping to improve along the way. Anyway, until then...

Ren sighed deeply, thinking of what was to come his way. As he did, he heard the announcer state the schedule of the train that was coming was about to arrive any minute. Once the train arrived, he stepped in, and was lucky enough to find a seat. He sat down, trying to loosen up all the muscles that have tensed up all day today. After he caught his breath, he looked around, observing the presents of the other passengers, lost in thought. The teen decided to read to get his mind off of her. He tried to focus, but he ended up failing once more. His mind filled up with even more questions about her.

 _I wonder_ _what's_ _wrong between the gym teacher and Suzui-san...?_ He questioned himself, _Why did she look so scared?_

Ren decided to put his book away and focus more on the issue he wasn't even involved in until now. He tried to figure out what it was that was caused her fear. The teacher didn't seem so bad, but he could tell with what he felt earlier was a warning sign he wanted to figure out. He could sense danger that was heading towards her and his assumption with the bruises was possible abuse caused by him, but he had no proof which made him frustrated. He growled, tightening his fist as he put effort into figuring out the possibilities, but it ended up leading him to a headache. He gave up for now and noticed it was almost time for him to get off the train to go home. The adolescent took his glasses off to massage the bridge of his nose, hoping to clear his mind before exiting the train.

"Hm?" He looked across from him and noticed it was his classmate who was hanging out with Shiho after school. _What was her name again...? Ann... Takamaki...?_ He asked himself. _I guess I'm not alone on rumors, huh?_ He let out a small huff, recalling she was a topic in class, too. _I wonder what her story is, too?_

Ren ended up examining her. She appeared to have wavy platinum blonde hair that is styled in bushy pigtails with parted side bangs on the right side of her face where it seems she accessorizes with a single yellow hair clip above her left ear as well as small circular earrings on both ears and bright blue eyes. Her winter school uniform looked modified in a style that looked like it fit her personality like the girl he saw earlier at the library. The standard black blazer over a white varsity-like full-zip hooded sweatshirt, worn long to cover most of her short plaid skirt. Her sweatshirt has a red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, an S symbol near the front bottom on one side and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood. She was wearing red tights and brown boots with yellow laces.

The teen stared at her longer than he meant to and noticed her looking over at him. He felt like an idiot for noticing too late and looked away instantly, trying to hide his discomfort. Ren felt like he must've looked like a creep for how long hes been looking at her, but when he glanced back over to see her reaction, he heard a small giggle which led him to look back over. A smile crossed his face, matching her expression. He was thrown off guard to where he almost missed his stop. Ren put his glasses back on and stood up fast with an apologetic smile, still feeling as awkward as ever, rushing off the train once it came to a complete stop.

The unruly jet haired teen tried to catch his breath after leaving, admiring the decently fresh air in his neighborhood. He rubbed the back of his neck to loosen the tightness he could feel building up before walking back home. Ren took his time when heading back home, trying to process everything of what happened today, but it just increased his migraine to where he almost wanted to forget today's event. But the only thing that made it bearable was Shiho.

 _Yippee... An unwelcoming home to return to._ An effortless chuckle left his lips, remembering school isn't the only thing that made him feel displeasure.

He was disquiet by the thought of even returning, but he didn't want to cause trouble, not just for him, but also for his guardian even though he wasn't welcomed. He put his hands in his pocket, rubbing the fabric as if to distract himself while he walked home. The teen stopped in his tracks, standing in front of the door, reading the sign of the cafe, before building up the courage to enter.

"Oh, you're back." Sojiro, the guardian, said sounding slightly annoyed. "How was it? Your first day? I didn't get a call from your school so I assume you followed the rules." He stated.

"Um... okay, I guess." He looked away, trying not think of the issue until he went to his room. "I'm gonna go study, thank you again for letting me stay here. If you'll excuse me." He smiled faintly, giving a small bow before heading upstairs.

Ren walked up to his room, setting his bag down by the front and his glasses on the shelf by his bed. He flopped on his bed, trying to catch his breath from all the things that happened today. He buried his head in his pillow, hoping to ease himself from today's unexpected stress.

 _I wonder how tomorrow's gonna go?_ He peeked over at his window, spacing out again. _Should I talk to Suzui-san tomorrow for her safety?_ Ren asked, partially using it as an excuse to see her again, _I'll save it for tomorrow I guess..._ The teen sighed, his eyelids were becoming heavy, his energy soon reaching to zero to where he was about to pass out, until he heard a sudden ding come from his phone. _Hm? Who could it possibly be? My parents?_ He surprisingly hoped it wasn't as he checked his phone. _What the hell...?_ The adolescent was surprised seeing an icon appear on his phone, _I don't recall downloading this... delete._

Ren set his phone aside and forced himself up to keep himself awake to study until it was bed time. He was able to learn what he missed in class. Or so he hoped. When he looked at his phone, he saw it was ten o'clock. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slow, resting against the wall, looking beside him, seeing the dirty plate.

 _I should thank Sojiro for dinner and clean the dishes before he leaves then head to bed._ He thought to himself, getting up.

"Finally done with your studies?" Ren nodded. "Good. I'm gonna head back home, don't stay up too long."

"Thank you for the meal." A faint smile appeared before heading to the sink to clean the dishes.

Sojiro hummed before walking out the door, locking up. Ren set aside the dishes and headed up stairs to go to sleep. When he got ready for bed, and lied down, his eyelids becoming heavy he heard a ding come from his phone again.

 _Who could it be this time?_ He groaned, _What the hell?_ The teen started to get irritated a bit, deleting the app instantly before going to sleep.

Hours later that felt like minutes, he felt a chill go through his whole body, reaching around to bury himself in his blanket. He ended up falling off his bed. Or so he thought.

 _Huh? Where the hell am I?_ He was startled, looking at his surroundings, _Is this...? Am I in a jail cell?!_ Ren stood up swiftly, leading himself to hit against a wall by the cause of getting up too fast. _I thought I was on probation! When the hell did I get sent to juvie?!_ He was troubled, "Ow..." He groaned, getting hit by the chains he was tied down in.

"Oh, finally awake, huh, Inmate?" Someone said, walking up to his cell.

Ren looked up, bewildered on what's going on around him. He noticed two little girls that were twins appear in front of his cell. They appeared to be young girls with platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes. The twins were both wearing a black eye patch with the letter "V" over one of their eyes and a blue prison guard outfit. One had a long braid and a hat with the letters "O-Y-O-O," while the other had hair buns and a hat with the letters "X-M-R-N." The letters appear to spell "OXYMORON." They wore a brassard on their left arm. They also have matching black ties. One was holding a clip holder, while the other held an electric shock baton.

He was lost on what to say as he put effort into wrapping this whole thing around his head. As he finally got his senses back to speak, the twins moved aside his cell, exposing an elderly looking man with a big nose.

"Trickster, welcome to my Velvet Room." The man said.

"So you've come to, Inmate." The one with the hair buns started.

"The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream." The other twin said.

"You're in the presence of our master, stand up straight!" The first twin stated.

Ren rubbed the back of his head, slowly getting up this time to head to the front, hoping to get answers. As he did, he felt something heavy hold him back, noticing it was a ball and chain. He put strength into reaching the front and placed his hands on the bars, tugging on them, hoping to get out to talk to them in a more mannerly way, but there was no success, he resigned instantly, hoping for a satisfying explanation to lessen his discontent.

"Welcome, I am delighted to make your acquaintance." The elderly man said.

Ren was a bit taken back by his appearance, but mainly by his deep voice. The man had the appearance of a bizarre old man with a long nose, pointed ears and bulging, bloodshot eyes. He was wearing a black suit with white gloves. He appeared to look quite tall when he looked at the length of his legs.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." He started, "It is a room that only those who are bound by a "contract" may enter." He continued, "I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well." He introduced himself. "I summoned you to speak of important matters." The man explained, "It involves your life as well."

"Important matters?" Ren replied, still completely confused.

"Still, this is a surprise..." Igor said, examining the look of the room, "The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such." He chuckled, "You truly are a "prisoner" of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you."

"Ruin?" He questioned, concerns starting to mix.

"I speak of the end to everything." He responded, "However there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be "rehabilitated". Rehabilitated towards freedom... That is your only means to avoid ruin... Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

"I'd rather avoid ruin." Ren answered.

"Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." He replied, "Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here."

"Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like." Caroline, the girl with buns, said with a smirk.

"The duty of the wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators." Justine, the girl with the braid added. "That is, if you remain obedient."

"I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion." Igor said. "Now then it seems the night is waning... It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually..."

A bell suddenly rung, making Ren jump and back away from the door, "Time's up. Now hurry up and go back to sleep." Caroline said, looking up at him.

"Wait!" The adolescent grabbed the bars, struggling against them.

 _I had a strange dream. Ruin... Rehabilitation... What does it mean...?_ He thought to himself, trying to organize his thoughts.

"Hey. Get going. Don't be late for school." Sojiro called out.

 _Whatever..._ Ren tried to erase the weird dream from his mind and headed to school.

He took the train to school and started to think of how today is going to be. How should he act around school? The rumors didn't hit him as much as they did. Should he try and meet up with Shiho? He didn't want to seem like a stalker. What happens if she can't handle much of today like yesterday? Ren filled his mind with questions yet again, burying the questions of his dream in the back of his mind.

When Ren finally arrived school grounds he wanted to look around for Shiho, but he thought to himself, he should save it for later, letting things happen on their on. Though as he entered the building he saw the gym teacher, standing proudly at the front door, smiling at all the school girls as if checking them out. The discomforting aura he felt yesterday was still there when he looked at him.

 _What was his name again? Kamoshida?_ He thought.

As he walked in further, ignoring his presence, he heard him call out Shiho's name again, sounding like a big shot. Ren looked over and headed her way, before the teacher could reach her again.

"Morning, love!" Ren thankfully beat him to her. He could sense a deathly stare at him, feeling as though daggers were thrown at him, "Is he glaring at me?" He whispered.

Shiho glanced over and hummed, "What are you doing? Are you an idiot?" She sounded concerned.

"I'm sorry, I just can't let him continue on with whatever he's doing to you." Ren responded.

"What in the world makes you think he's--?" Ren gave her a look of _you don't need to lie_ , which made her stop her from finishing her sentence, "I appreciate what you did for me yesterday, but I don't want you to get into anymore trouble. You're already going through enough aren't you?" She looked up at him, worried.

There it was again. He felt like something hit him in the chest. He still couldn't understand what it was that kept hitting him every time she looked at him with that bothersome look.

"Don't worry about me, okay?" Shiho gave a weak smile at him this time, "Worry about yourself more." She was about to walk the other way to avoid her coach, but Ren ended up grabbing her hand once again.

"I really appreciate your concerns, but what's going on around me. The rumors, the glares, the threats aren't bothering me anymore. My main concern is you." He looked at her, a look of distress washing over his face this time.

Shiho breathed out a small laugh, giving a weak smile while shaking her head, "I truly appreciate your concerns, but you really don't need to worry about me. I'm doing just fine. Just a little tired from overworking, but it's all... it's all worth it." She lied.

"Suzui-san, please... I want to help you." Ren said, his worries beginning to grow.

"I'll see you later, Amamiya-san." She smiled softly, freeing herself from his hold.

Ren let her walk away this time, feeling dumbfounded. He was rooted to the floor, wanting to go after her, but he felt pushed away even further this time. The teen heard a chuckle leave the coaches mouth, making him glance over, seeing a look of amusement on Kamoshida's smug looking face. A little laugh ended up escaping Ren's lips, hiding his look of determination, inwardly telling himself he is not going to let him lay a finger on her any longer.

 _My concerns towards you exceed the concerns towards myself._ He thought to himself, looking in the direction she left before heading his way to his class.


	4. Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Staying silent can do nothing, but increase your pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I have some ideas that are now flowing. Sorry if I'm lacking though, still organizing out the ideas, but I hope it's at least decent? Lol Anyway, until then...

"Ah, oh... Sorry." Ann said, bumping into him as he was heading to class.

"Oh, um... no worries." Ren murmured, stopping in his tracks, seeing Ann continue her way up the stairs. _Hm? Is she... heading towards the rooftop?_ The adolescent was curious, having the urge to follow her.

The teen looked over to his left, seeing his classroom only a few feet away, then back in the direction Ann headed towards. He ended up looking at his watch which ended up making him grip his hand tightly, knowing he should be heading to class because it starts within less than five minutes, but with the thought of what could be going on up there outweighed it completely. Without a second thought, he ended up leading himself to the rooftop. The unruly black haired teen reached the top, looking through the door windows and saw Shiho and Ann lean against the fence.

"What's wrong? What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be in class?" Ann started the conversation with questions that made Shiho look a little uncomfortable.

"Hm? Oh... I just need some fresh air and having some company gives it a change of pace for me." She spoke lowly, looking exhausted. "Thank you for giving me some of your time out of the blue. Even though it'll get us both in trouble." A small laugh escaped.

Another hit in the chest struck him when she showed that same smile. Yet this time, this pain felt a little different to him. She seemed to have hidden a look of sadness in her eyes. The same hollowness in her hazel shaded eyes. The same sigh. The same look of sorrow hid well beneath her usual expression. It appeared Ann didn't notice, but Ren did. He noticed within a second that her day wasn't starting off so well. He wanted to talk to her, but he held himself back, letting her speak to someone she was more familiar with. Ren stayed in the shadows, listening in on the conversation he wasn't proud of doing.

_Sorry, Suzui-san..._ He kept to himself as he continued to listen.

"How has practice been going for you and your teammates?" Ann started.

"Hm? Oh... all is well." She lied.

"Are things beginning to become more rough? You haven't been looking so well this past week." Ann looked at her, worrisome arriving.

"Everything's fine. Just becoming challenging every time per usual." She faked a small grin.

"Are you sure you're doing all right? Don't you think you should take a break every now and then?" Ann began to bury her way into Shiho's life.

Shiho spaced out, looking as though she was about to pass out. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to clear her mind to keep the conversation going, but she kept struggling. Her mind was so disoriented and her lack of energy wasn't helping. The teen felt like she wanted to tell the truth of all the things her and her team have been struggling through, but with the threats they've all been suffering with, they felt they were already buried alive. Shiho didn't want to make things worse. She didn't want to involve Ann. Especially Ann. The things Kamoshida said, the things the adults are turning a blind eye on, the agonizing tasks they've all been thrown into has led them to feeling as though they were already dead.

_I'm sorry, Ann..._ Shiho confessed to herself, sighing deeply, opening her eyes, trying to breathe in the fresh air to have the ability to speak again, "Everything's fine." She placed a gentle smile, hiding her pain for the sake of Ann so she wouldn't have to worry, "How are things going for you?" She asked to change the subject.

"Oh... everything's the same, per usual." Ann laughed a little, hiding her look of stress, "Things are going great." The girl with the blonde hair responded, "N-Nothing new." A weak laugh escaped.

Ann looked down, _I'm sorry, Shiho..._ Ann confessed to herself. She wanted to say the things she was going through, but she didn't want to worry Shiho, nor feel like things were going worse for her. The teen bit her tongue, trying to hold in her frustration, gripping the fence. She wanted to tell Shiho the struggles she was going through. The sexual harassment's she's been receiving from her friends coach, the threats, the rumors. She didn't want to strain her friend anymore than she already looked. All she felt she could do was cheer her on in hopes of her friend succeeding for the accomplishments she has been aiming for the past couple years.

Silence filled the air, leaving the two teens to sit there with nothing, but sorrow. They felt depression fall upon them as they suffered the worry of placing stress on each other. They both sighed deeply, looking up at the sky that was beginning to turn gray.

"I guess we should head back to class, huh?" Shiho was the first to break the silence.

She looked down, feeling weak to where she didn't want to return. Hell, she didn't want to return anywhere. The jet hair colored girl turned around and ended up looking down at the field. She leaned against the fence, staring blankly at the grass she used to play pass back with her teammates during lunch time before Kamoshida became their coach. Her lips twitched, struggling to hold in her tears. She ended up gripping the fence, hoping it would ease her pain, trying to replace the feel of fear turn into a feel of anger, yet she couldn't bring herself to switch to that. She felt she was a puppet that couldn't cut the strings that kept her in her place. Before she knew it, her mind became so dark to where she ended up viewing the roof as an escape. She felt the roof was her only escape.

"Shiho...?" Ann placed her hand on her shoulder, snapping Shiho out of her thoughts.

"L-Let's head back to class." Shiho forced a smile, "It looks like it's about to rain soon." She headed to the door first.

Ren jolted, noticing the girls were heading his way. He raced downstairs to avoid the girls most likely uncomfortable questioning. The adolescent reached the last step and ended up stumbling into another student.

"Hey, watch it!" The guy pushed him back.

The guy has short spiky dyed blond hair and dark brown eyes. According to Ren's homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami, his hair is naturally black. He has a noticeable widow's peak and his eyebrows are unusual in that he lacks the outer sides. His winter school uniform was a bit modified that fit his personality indeed. It consists of the standard black blazer, unbuttoned to reveal a yellow t-shirt with a comic style star symbol and the word 'ZOMG!' He has plaid trousers rolled up to reveal his ankles. His pants have black suspenders that hang down instead of being worn on his shoulders. He has a white belt. His white sneakers have a motif.

"Oh! S-Sorry." Ren automatically said.

"Hold up... what's a diligent looking kid like ya ditching class?" The guy questioned.

Ren looked back up the stairs, hearing the girls voices then back over at the other guy.

"Sorry again!" Ren rushed to his classroom.

"What a weird guy..." The other student said, watching him run away. "Whatever... Hm?" He looked up, noticing the two girls walking down, _Geez... is he a stalker or something?_ Ryuji questioned himself, looking in the direction Ren ran towards. "Ann?" He said, noticing one of the girls. _Why the hell would a guy want to stalk Ann?_ He breathed out a laugh when thinking that.

"Ryuji..." Ann huffed out, a small growl escaping behind.

"Can't believe you have a fan here at this school." He laughed, "I thought the guys left you alone for their sake."

"Shut up!" She bit back, "Leave us alone." She pushed him aside, escorting Shiho to her class before heading to hers.

Ryuji let out a laugh, letting them pass by him, then looked in the direction Ren ran towards. _What a strange kid..._ The blond haired boy sighed, heading upstairs.

Ren tried to catch his breath when he reached his classroom. He leaned against the wall and slid down, burying his head between his legs, trying to compose himself before entering his classroom.

_I wonder what's going on between Suzui-san and Takamaki-san... Why did they both look so sad?_ Ren thought to himself, staring out the window, seeing it was starting to drizzle outside, _I should focus on school for now._

He exhaled slowly, hoping to focus better today, but sadly enough, luck was not on his side. When he was about to get up, he saw a shadow appear in front of him. He looked up and felt a bit taken aback, a little startled by the glare he instantly got from his classmate, Ann.

"You and me are talking right after school!" She growled, heading to class first.

Ren groaned, feeling like he was screwed. He looked up and over at Ann when she entered the class, about to enter the classroom right after her, but he felt it would be safer for them to have a bit of a time distance so more rumors wouldn't spread between the both of them, mainly for her sake. Yet sadly enough, it appeared that fifteen minutes later wasn't enough to keep more rumors spreading like wildfire. Ren got a lecture from his teacher before he was made to sit down. He gulped, feeling as though he was suffocating by his own saliva as he awkwardly headed to his desk, trying his best to ignore the whispers. He tried not to look at Ann. He succeeded at that, but he could definitely feel a deadly aura around her as he passed by her to sit down.

_So much for aiming to have a better day than yesterday._ Ren sighed deeply, wanting to face plant down on his desk, but knew he had to focus today in order to keep up with his studies and avoid more consequences that he felt was heading his way.


	5. Keep Your Head Down

_"No! Don't!"_ Ren ended up hearing a ruckus, _"Stop it! Let me go! Help me!"_ He started hearing a woman's voice plead for help.

 _"What the hell?"_ He thought to himself, " _When did it become night time?"_ He noticed he was still at school.

 _"Somebody help me!"_ Ren jolted once recognizing the voice.

 _"Suzui-san?!"_ He called out instantly, running in the direction he heard her.

 _"AMAMIYA-SAN!!"_ She finally screamed out.

Ren was about to have a heart attack once he heard his name be called out by Shiho. He bolted as fast as he could, struggling his way to find the direction her voice was coming from. The young man saw a light straight ahead and right when he saw what room it was that it was coming from, he felt as though he lost it. Right when he reached the door, it was locked. He pushed and pushed against the door as hard as he could. By the time her scream became a blood curdling beg for help, he snapped, leading him to kick down the door.

"Suzui-san!" Ren yelled out, waking up with a racing heart. _Wh-What the hell...?_ He looked at his surroundings, seeing he was in class, which was thankfully over. He looked away from the students that were staring at him, _Thank God that was just a dream..._ He placed his hand on his chest, catching his breath.

He was filled with anxiety, slight relief calming his nerves, but hesitation began to knock on his door. Ren packed his things and rushed out of the classroom, completely forgetting Ann told him they were going to have a little chat after class.

"Hey!" Ann called out.

Ren didn't stop. He didn't even hear Ann call out his name. The thing that kept him distracted was the dream he had not long ago. He was breathing heavily, putting effort into finding Shiho and hoping she was safe. The young man wondered to himself on why he was so worked up over this, since it was only just a dream. But in the back of his mind, after looking at the whole picture, it reminded him of the screams he heard when he was back at his hometown. After thinking back at that night, it made him stop in his tracks, not wanting to cause her any trouble, but he still wanted to protect her.

 _Could she be at practice?_ He looked around, heading to the gym, _Ah! There it is!_ He ran over his way to the gym.

He entered the building and thankfully, there she was, practicing with her teammates. She looked determined and focused which relieved Ren a whole hell of a lot. He felt he was about to fall forward after running for about ten minutes straight, bothersome making him not even think of going straight to the gym in the first place. The heavy breathing and the hacking he tried to hold back definitely reminded him that he is out of shape. The adolescent laughed at himself for being stupid and, will admit, a little reckless with the amount of people he ended up pushing along the way. Ren quietly walked in and leaned against the wall, sliding down to catch his breath and admire Shiho's effort during her practice. She looked way different than she did before practice.

 _Wow..._ Ren kept examining her form and studying the positions all the team members were in and what they were doing.

The sight of this practice made him feel as though he was mistakenly wrong on how the coach treats the team to where he ended up feeling stupid. He was impressed and continued to watch the team play until the game was over, hoping he'd be able to talk to Shiho afterwards. 

While he was watching though, he noticed the coach was staring at mainly the girls. The look in his eyes looked as though it was a look of an assailer. He had that same feeling when he focused on him more. Ren wanted to move on since Kamoshida hasn't done anything wrong. Or so he thought. The longer Ren looked at him, he noticed a disgusting smirk slide across his face once his eyes landed on Shiho. The teen shuddered, feeling chills go up his spine when he saw a look of a predator focusing on its prey.

That look on Kamoshida's face made him really want to talk to Shiho right after practice. Ren kept feeling stupid with how many times he's been focusing on the young woman to where he felt he was practically a stalker. He sighed deeply, not proud of himself, feeling as though he was annoying her at this point, but it didn't push him away. The adolescent's worries outweighed all of it. He didn't care how he was seen, as long as she was safe and not in any position in that dream he had, he was fine.

"You have interest in Suzui-chan or what, _stalker_?" The coach appeared right beside him, making him jump back. "I take it, not only are you an assaulter, but also a stalker? Hope you're not a peeping tom." He glanced over with a glare. "If you ever so lay a finger on any of those girls, I'll have you expelled without any hesitation." He laughed, walking away, "I suggest you keep your head down, boy."

After what Kamoshida stated, it made him re-analyze on his own actions. Ren started questioning himself on if the things he's doing are ridiculous. If everything is nothing, but causing trouble for Shiho. If everything was just all in his head at that point. All those thoughts raddled in his mind, but the odd feeling deep inside him kept pounding as though a signal of keeping an eye on not just Shiho, but also the actions Kamoshida may be hiding behind that confident look and the fame he keeps revealing to everyone around him.

 _God... what is wrong with me?_ Ren sighed deeply, hiding his look of embarrassment, rethinking of what to do. 

When Ren finally cleared his mind and eased his discomfort, he looked back up and noticed all of the teammates were covered with bruises, expressed a look of fear, and had difficulty on breathing once practice was over. He looked at each one and they all exposed the same look Shiho did the first time he met her. All of that made his anxiety build its way back up again.

 _So Suzui-san isn't the only one, huh?_ He questioned himself, _What the hell does this man do to them and why?_ Ren growled, his fists turning into a shape of a ball. "Hm?" His eyes landed on Shiho who looked as pale as a ghost.

Kamoshida placed his hand on her shoulder, making her shudder. Just seeing the teacher do that made the young man rush up and over towards her, but the next thing he saw that ended up stopping him in his tracks was her coach picking her up and telling a teammate to inform the nurse he's bringing her to the infirmary right after she fainted.

 _Am I losing it? Am I overthinking things? What is my problem?_ He thought to himself, becoming irritated with himself. 

He breathed out calmly, trying to keep his nerves at bay. The adolescent closed his eyes, trying to ease himself and get himself back under control, yet he still continued by the cause of his empathy. Ren opened his eyes and kept himself level-headed. The teen decided to head to the infirmary to check on Shiho's condition.

 _I hope we can at least become friends... I don't want to get in the way of her life nor bother her._ Ren sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his head. _I wonder how she's doing--?!_

When Ren arrived, he saw Kamoshida hover over her as if he was about to unforgivable things to her while she was passed out.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ren yelled out, grabbing the coach's attention.

Kamoshida breathed out a laugh, giving him a disgustingly sly grin while exposing a glare. "Nothing. Just checking her condition." He smirked.

Ren gripped his hands tightly, close to wanting to deck him, but he held himself back once seeing the teacher back off and stand up straight, heading in his direction. The teen's anger still boiled as the coach passed him. He heard a laugh leave his lips as he walked away.

"I suggest you stay in your place if you don't want things to get worse, not just for you, but also your _girlfriend_." He said, taunting him.

 _That damn bastard..._ Ren growled, trying his best not to lose himself.

Ren tried to calm himself down so he could check on Shiho, right when he was about to, Ann grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back, pushing him against the wall outside of the nurses office.

"You're getting my friend in trouble!" Ann stated, irritation beginning to arrive.

"What?! That's not my intention!" Ren spit out. "Did you not just see what happened?!" He pointed the direction Kamoshida headed to.

Ann growled, looking down, trying not to let things get to her even though it just kept building up. She breathed heavily, putting effort into turning a blind eye so things wouldn't get any worse. Ann wanted to say something. She wanted to do something. The teen wanted to put an end to the suffrage everyone was going through, especially Shiho, but she didn't know how. She didn't have the courage to gamble on the situation. Her fear getting the best of her. Several thought of consequences holding her back. The young woman didn't know what she could possibly do to help in this situation. Ann closed her eyes tightly, gripping her hands as she looked up.

"Please... stop making things worse." She begged, "I know if you keep this up, things will only get worse. Especially for Shiho and I."

Ren was at a standstill at that point. He didn't know anything about the whole problem and he wanted to ask, but he felt if he did, he would just open wounds that'll make matters worse, but even so... he was determined to find a way to end things. Hoping this time, he would be able to save someone.

 _I'll find a way... you just watch._ Ren glared, looking in the direction the teacher left. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled, looking at Ann.

Ann smiled faintly, trying to hold back her tears as she nodded. "I'll keep an eye on Shiho. You should go home before anything else happens." She said, heading into the infirmary, sitting by Shiho's side.

Ren wanted to go in with her to keep an eye on her condition, but he stepped back and decided to keep an eye on Kamoshida as the days passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, if it sucks, I'm still lacking on some parts, I know lol but I'm figuring out along the way. Anyway, until then...


	6. Unknown Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And soon the adventure begins. I hope it's okay. Lol Anyway, until then...

The next day rolled around and Ren didn't know how to take his days anymore. He felt he was going through a catch twenty-two. The teen wanted to help Shiho, but he didn't want to get her in any more trouble than she was already in. A long sigh escaped his lips.

 _Here's to another day..._ He thought to himself, getting ready for school.

"Hey, hold on." Sojiro stopped him from leaving, "Have something to eat before you head out. Goodness. Wouldn't want your stomach to be growling during your classes." He set a plate of curry and rice on the table.

Ren was a bit surprised, he was planning on getting a roll of bread along the way, but happily accepted what was given to him. The teen smiled happily at the elder man which led Sojiro to smile back at him. The two were both surprised. His guardian looked away, telling him to eat quickly and head out while Ren let out a small chuckle, beginning to eat his breakfast.

"Thank you for the meal." He beamed, saying his goodbye before heading off to school.

He was satisfyingly stuffed by this mornings breakfast which ended up giving him a bit of a boost. Ren felt some kindness and warmth while eating. He was taken aback by the sudden offer of food, but was delighted.

"Hm?" Ren felt a drop of water land on his face. He looked up, clouds beginning to cover the whole sky which ended up making him groan, his boost sadly slowly reaching down to zero. _Seriously...? _He sighed.__

____

The young man headed to the closest shelter and waited until the rain become less heavy. He hoped that he wouldn't be late by the time the rain lessens, but either way, he tried not to let it bother him. Ren stared at his surroundings, feeling the cold breeze brush against his face, making him sneeze. 

____

_Please tell me I'm not catching a cold..._ He let out a huff

____

The adolescent tried to ignore it, hoping the rain will let up soon so he could leave and get into the warm school. He looked at his phone to check the time and saw the app again. This time it covered half of his screen. He was about to take care of it until he saw a familiar figure stand right beside him. He was startled, but a faint smile spread across his face, though the smile instantly turned into a straight face, seeing as to how what happened awhile back.

____

Ann looked around the area, appearing as though thinking of a way to head to school without the rain hitting too hard on her. Ren noticed too late that he was gawking at her again. It caught her attention and she looked over at him, both of them lost on what to say. Ann gave a small grin, about to say something, until someone drove up, window rolling down.

____

_That damn teacher..._ Ren groaned, trying to keep himself leveled.

____

"Good morning. Do you want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late." Kamoshida said, looking at Ann with a grin.

____

"Um, sure. Thank you." Ann said, glancing over at Ren, quickly giving a look of _don't_ before heading over to the car.

____

"Do you need a lift too?" Ren was hesitant. 

____

He wanted to, but he didn't know the outcomes. The teen could sense something would go wrong, so he planted a fake grin on his face, waving his hand as a _no thank you._ for the sake of Ann. A bit of annoyance boiled inside him once he saw the teacher look at Ann as if she was a piece of meat then looked over at him as if saying _I won_. Before the teacher rolled up the window, Ren saw a look of despair on her face before he drove off.

____

_Damn it..._ He sighed, hanging his head in shame.

____

"Dammit... Screw that pervy teacher." Ryuji growled once stopping for air.

____

"Pervy teacher." Ren repeated, _I guess I'm not the only one that sees it, huh?_

____

The other teen turned around after sensing a figure standing behind him, "Oh... it's you." Ryuji said, "...What do you want?" He glared. "You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

____

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

____

"Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida." The teen with blond hair kicked the water, in disbelief Ren doesn't know him. When in all honesty, he does. Frustratingly. "He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is-- the king of a castle? Don't you agree?"

____

"The king of the castle?" Ren repeated, seeing he wasn't the only one who saw it.

____

"Uh, it's just a sayin'..." He responded. "...Wait. You don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real?" Ryuji folded his arms, looking at him with disbelief. "You're from Shujin, right?"

____

Ren played dumb, shaking his head to the first question, trying to stay low to figure things out, "I think so..."

____

"...You messin' with me? You're wearing a Shujin uniform." He looked up and down at Ren, "A second-year, huh... We're the same grade then." He stated, "You a transfer student?" Ren nodded. "Then no wonder you don't know him."

____

_Uh-huh..._ Ren thought to himself.

____

"This ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late." He said, turning to head to school.

____

"Nnh?!" Ren and Ryuji felt a sharp piercing pain hit hard in their head, leading them to grab hold of their head.

____

_I feel light-headed for some reason..._ Ren thought, trying to bear the sudden feel of pain.

____

"Uuugh, my head hurts..." Ryuji groaned. "Dammit... I wanna go home..." He whined, walking ahead of Ren.

____

Ren looked at his phone one last time, the app suddenly no longer there. He looked up, seeing the rain was no longer pouring. As he put his phone away, he felt the area feel different than before. But he couldn't put his finger on it, so he ignored it and headed to school.

____

The transfer student followed the blond headed one, taking a shortcut to school. The unruly haired one not even realizing his phone was scanning him by the support of the unknown app. As they went down an alley, Ren felt sudden chills run up his spine. He looked behind himself, wondering if someone or something was behind him. He brushed it off his shoulder and continued to walk on. When they reached the end of the alleyway, there they saw a massive castle right where their school should have been.

____

"Wha--?!" Ryuji started off with, "We didn't... come the wrong way though..." He spoke hesitantly, "Yeah, this should be right..." The blond headed kid looked at the school before looking over at Ren, "What's goin' on here?"

____

"Your guess is as good as mine..." He mumbled, staring at the castle, astonished.

____

"I guess we'll just have to go and ask." Ren nodded with agreement, both teens walking over the gate entrance with caution.

____


	7. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So many surprises suddenly leading to quite a few rewarding things all thanks to a bit of luck and a big amount of help.

"Morning, Shiho!" Ann ran up to Shiho, wrapping her arm around hers, "How's your morning going?"

"Oh, Ann..." Shiho was startled then let out a weak laugh, "My morning's... going, I guess. How about yours?"

"Mine's been... going, too." She exposed a faint smile before looking behind herself, _I wonder if he found a way to school._ Ann thought, stopping for a moment, looking at the entrance.

"What's wrong, Ann?" Shiho stopped, looking over at her.

"Hm? Oh! N-Nothing." She gave her a bright smile before looking back at the front door, her smile fading.

Shiho looked over at the door, her mind thinking of the same exact person. _I wonder if he's doing okay..._ She looked down, a bit of concern crossing her, "Huh?" The young woman suddenly felt a piercing pain, closing her eyes tightly while gripping her head, "Nnh?! My... head..." She whined weakly, shaking her head lightly, catching her breath. _What the...?_ The adolescent opened her eyes slowly, trying to clear her vision. "Amamiya-san?" A smile of relief slid across her face as she reached out.

"Shiho?" Ann placed her hand on Shiho's shoulder, giving a look of concern. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" The black haired teen looked over at her best friend, "Isn't that Ama--?" Shiho looked back and he was nowhere in sight, "N-Nothing... Never mind. Don't worry about it." The young woman gave a faint smile, "We should head to our classes." She went ahead, her smile fading, wondering if she was seeing things, beginning to worry about Ren.

"Okay..." Ann said, catching up to her.

 _What... was that just now...?_ Shiho questioned herself, wondering if her overworking was beginning to reach up to her, leading her to hallucinations. _What is wrong with me...?_ She sighed, _Huh...?_ Her heart suddenly raced after she remembered hugging him by impulse when they went to the train station together, _Was his heart racing when I hugged him that time...? N-No... I'm just imagining things..._ She shook her head, trying to clear that thought out of her mind as she focused on heading to class, a feel of disappointment looming over her as the thought stuck in the back of her mind.

"Hm? Suzui-san?" Ren looked behind himself after hearing Shiho's voice call out to him, sensing her presence from behind right after he entered the castle.

"You okay there, bud?" Ryuji looked over at Ren, curious on the sudden halt.

"Huh?" He stopped in his tracks, still looking behind himself, "Yeah... I-It's nothing..." He rattled his head, walking up to Ryuji, _I guess I was just hearing things...?_

"Th-That's weird... Where's the school?" Ryuji looked around, dumbfounded.

"Did we make a wrong turn?" Ren questioned.

"This SHOULD be the school... I think..." Ryuji responded with hesitation, looking over at Ren before pulling out his phone, "Out of service? Where'd we end up?" He put his phone away, becoming a bit wary by the unfamiliar surrounding, "The sign was for the school, right?"

"Yeah." Ren agreed, still trying to wrap this all around his head.

"Right?! You saw it too!" Ryuji said with frustration, struggling to figure out the meaning of this.

Clanking sounds caught the two teens attention, taking them aback when seeing some kind of knight heading their way.

"Geez, you freaked me out..." Ryuji sighed, scratching his head, "Who're you? You a student?" He approached the unknown person, "Man, your costume's impressive... Is that armor real?" The knight didn't respond, "C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'." He folded his arms, slight annoyance beginning to arise. "...H-Hey, what's goin' on?" He was startled, stepping back when he saw another one approach them.

"What is this...?" Ren was lost on who the knights were and beginning to wonder if they were really at school.

"Dude, I don't know!" Ryuji barked while glaring over at Ren. "This shit's real..." The teen became severely cautious when they approached them. "C-Calm down! Time out, man!" He backed away, looking over at Ren, "We gotta run!"

"Got it." Ren agreed.

"Yeah, we better not mess with 'em! Go!" The blonde headed teen yelled, starting to run, Ren instantly following. "Ugh, what's with these guys!?"

They were surrounded by four knights by the time they aimed to escape the area. All of them wearing an emotionless mask. One closest to Ryuji hit him roughly against his back with his heavy shield, leading Ryuji to fall forward on his hands and knees.

"Gah!" The punk looking teen groaned out, "Oww... Y-You're gonna break my bones, dammit!" He clenched his hands on the ground, looking back at the person who pushed him to the ground. "The hell you think you're-- Aagh!" He yelled out.

The knights walked closer to them, huddling up to them, knocking the both of them out.

"Nnn... my aching head..." Ren groaned, grabbing hold of his head, shaking his head lightly, straightening out his vision. "Where am I?" He looked around, "Ryuji?" He noticed he was back at school, but it was by his classroom, late at night again, "Am I dreaming...?" Ren was taken aback, "Please tell me I'm not..."

 _"No! Don't!"_ Ren ended up hearing a ruckus, _"Stop it! Let me go! Help me!"_ He started hearing a woman's voice plead for help.

"No... Not again!" Ren started to dash off, heading towards the room again.

"Somebody help me!" The plead for help made him running even faster.

 _"AMAMIYA-SAN!!"_ She finally screamed out.

"No, no, no, no! Not this again!" He closed his eyes tightly, his hands gripping into tight fists as he headed straight to the room, "Damn it!" He struggled to open the door again, "Suzui-san!" He knocked down the door again. 

"...Hey." He heard a familiar voice from behind, "Hey! Wake up!"

Ren rushed up, "Where's Suzui-san?!" He looked at his surroundings, seeing Ryuji beside him, "Huh...? W-Where are we?" He sat up, leaning forward, exhausted from the same dream.

"You yelled out somebody's name... What was it...? Su-Suzui...?" He gave a questionably concerning look, "You all right?"

"Not again..." Ren rumbled, "I'm fine." He looked ahead of himself, seeing he was behind bars once _again. Seriously? I might as well be in Juvie now._ He exhaled.

"I see..." Ryuji looked ahead, examining the area, "Looks like this ain't no dream..." He ran up to the front of the cell, "Ugh, what's goin' on!?" He struggled against the bars, "Hey, let us outta here! I know there's someone out there!" He walked back over to Ren, "Dammit, where are we? Is this some kind of movie set!?" His anger started to grow.

"Once again, your guess is as good as mine..." Ren murmured out, trying to process this whole thing.

The two teens jolted after hearing someone scream in agony somewhere nearby them.

"Th-The hell was that just now?" The vulgar boy asked with worry, both of the teens running up to the front of the cell hearing the scream continued, "Whoa... Whoa, whoa, whoa whoa... You're shittin' me, right?" Ryuji trembled, shivers going down his spine as they continued to hear the screaming. "This is real bad...!" Ryuji looked all around the cell, hoping to find an opening for them to escape. "Isn't there some way outta here?! C'mon, we gotta do something."

Ren took part, both of them searching the whole cell, but no results of success.

"How much time's passed since we got knocked out...?" Ryuji asked with stress. "Dammit, this don't make any freakin' sense..."

Ren found a pile of chains on the stone cold floor and hanging against the wall. Ryuji gave a look of slight fear, thinking of the terrible things that could have been done involving those. After hearing a scream again, it just increased his anxiety.

"Hey, those chains're used for like... torturin' and stuff, right?" He mumbled, "Dammit! This shit ain't funny!"

Ren rolled his eyes, still trying to find a way out while Ryuji struggled against the bars, hoping to see someone around.

 _I'd rather avoid getting locked up in those shackles..._ Ren thought to himself as he continued to search. _It's in tatters... I would like to avoid using it at all costs..._ He sighed, looking at the bed he awoke from.

"Huh? You hear that?" Ryuji was startled, looking aside the cell, his eyes following the direction of the noise.

"Be glad that your punishment has been decided on." A guard said, walking up to their cell. "Your charge is _unlawful entry_. Thus you will be sentenced to death."

"Say what?!" Ryuji freaked out.

"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle." A man walked up from behind the guards, sounding irritated.

"Huh? Wait... is that you, Kamoshida?" Ryjui's eyes widened as the man approached them.

"Kamoshida? Tsk!" Ren growled, _That damn bastard..._ The student stared daggers at him.

Kamoshido could sense a negative aura coming from the student next to Ryuji. A small chuckle left his lips as he glanced over at the young man. The older man looked amused as if he could easily toy with them just by stirring the pot while they stood behind the bars.

"I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto..." He said, sounding disappointed, before a smirk slid across his face, "Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?"

Ren gripped the bars, biting his tongue so he doesn't cause any mishap. He didn't want to start anything nor make things worse. He bellowed, looking down, trying to keep himself under control.

"And you brought a friend this time... because you can't do anything for yourself." He laughed lightly, "Oh, yeah... you're the new student aren't you?" Kamoshida walked up to him, "Best follow the rules if you don't want anything bad to happen to yourself." He gave an eerie grin, "Because who knows? If you get expelled, who knows what would happen to your cute little _girlfriend_." He whispered, "Oh, wait. She isn't, is she? _Stalker_. After all, why would she go for a delinquent like you?"

Ren gripped the bars even tighter, his hands beginning to burn as he gave the coach a deadly glare. He wanted to grab him by his robe and slam him against the bars over and over, but he breathed out heavily, trying to think of a smarter way through this.

"This ain't funny, you asshole!" Ryuji grabbed Kamoshida's attention back at him.

"Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all." The _king_ stated, "Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me--the king." He snarled, his smirk returning, "The punishment for that is death." He grabbed hold of his chin, thinking of a way to execute them. "It's time for an execution! Take him out!"

"S-Stop it!" Ryuji said, scared as they both backed away from the bars. "...Goddammit!" The guards first cornered Ryuji, leading the teen to slam them back by impulse, "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here." 

He looked over at Ren, motioning they should hurry. Though as he did, he was slammed against the wall after one of the guards hit him roughly with the back of his sword against the wall, leading him to his knees as he put pressure on his stomach. Ren rushed up, struggling to push his way through the guardsmen.

"Nnngh... Owww... Just go! Get outta here! These guys are serious!" The ruffian huffed out, looking up at the ruffled haired teen.

"Oh? Running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are." Kamoshida looked over with a disgusted smirk.

"He ain't a friend..." The blonde headed kid stated, his eyes flaming over at Kamoshida. "C'mon! Hurry up and go!" He suggested out to him, making Ren flinch with shock.

"What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" Kamoshida egregiously glanced over, "Hmph, pathetic scum isn't worth my time..." He moved his sight back to Sakamato, "I'll focus on this one's execution..." A sly grin slid across his face.

The henchmen picked him up, holding him up in front of Kamoshida. His eyes glowing gold as he gave a malicious grin while he rose his fist in the air. He grunted out a laugh as he began his first deck.

"Take this!" He started with his face, "Lowly scum!" Leading to his stomach, then a few more punches to the face before ending it with a hard slap to the face. "Useless pest!" He spit on his face with a scoff, "...Hmph. Where'd your energy from earlier go?" A guard picked him up from the back of his neck and threw him across the cell, "A peasant like you isn't worth beating." He gave a disturbed look at the blonde headed teen as he approached him, "I'll have you killed right now."

"Stop it!" Ren howled out.

"Hm...?" Kamoshida glanced over to Ren before turning around to walk up to him, "What? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am." He spit out to him, as though it was venom, "That look in your eyes irritates me!"

Ren glared daggers at him as he was kicked to the floor. He coughed out with a groan mixed with a growl. _This damn prick!_ The teen with glasses thought to himself, about to lose it.

"Hold him there... After the peasant, it's his turn to die." He looked over at the teen that was lying on the ground, one of the guards walking up to him, holding up his sword.

Ren was about to run up to stop them, but he was held back by two guards. He tried to struggle his way out of their hold, but he couldn't. He put effort to think of ways to escape their hold, but he was stuck, feeling helpless.

"No... I don't wanna die..." Ryuji whined out as the king walked up to the teen that was frozen to the ground.

Darkness soon fell upon Ren, some light shining upon him from the support of a sky blue colored butterfly, "This is truly an unjust game... Your chances of winning are almost none." The butterfly spoke which startled Ren, "But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."

The rooms lighting suddenly turned blood red, "What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch?" Another voice spoke, "Are you forsaking him to save yourself?" Ren griped, looking around for the voice, "Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?" A sudden flashback appeared.

 _He's right..._ Ren closed his eyes, his hands gripping tightly into a ball out of anger, _It wasn't a mistake! Not that woman... and definitely not Suzui-san!_ _These damn bastards will pay..._ He stared up at the king with a look of anger. "It wasn't."

Ryuji was being dragged up against the wall by one of the guards, getting closer and closer to his execution. He held tightly onto the knights hand that gripped him tightly, practically choking him. The knight held up his sword, beginning to aim it at Ryuji.

Ren began to feel severe pain spread through his whole body, leading him to squirm roughly against the knights grasps, "Very well... I have heeded your resolve." The voice continued. Ren felt a insufferable throb in his chest, leading him to have difficulty breathing which ended up making him scream as he continued to squirm in their hold, "Vow to me." The voice spoke again, "I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage!" The voice continued as Ren suddenly burst out a screech, his head hanging from the torturous pain he felt run through his body, "Show the strength of thy will ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!" The struggling teen looked back with a conspicuous expression of determination.

"Execute him!" Kamoshida exclaimed, pointing at Ryuji.

"That's enough!" Ren shouted out.

"What was that...?" The king was taken aback, looking back over at Ren.

The guard released Ryuji, turning around to look at the person who spoke up against the kings orders. Kamoshida followed the voice and gave a deathly glare to Ren who spit against his words.

"You desire to be killed that much? Fine!" Kamoshida gestured to the knight.

The knight struck Ren with his shield, forcing him to stumble aside, his glasses being knocked right off his face. The king breathed out a laugh with an eerie beam, seeing Ren pinned up against the wall with two spear handles held tightly against his throat. Ryuji tried to stand up straight, wanting to stop them, but he had no strength to support him to stand, just falling to the floor, making him feel weak and pathetic. The king held out his arm with a _hmph_ , signalling for Ren's execution. The knight held up his sword, about to give him one heavily blown strike his way, but before it could even reach him, a gust of wind pushed roughly against everyone once Ren came to realize he was close to death.

Once the unruly teen awoke, he felt a mask glued to his face. His mask was a black and white, birdlike domino mask. He was shocked by the sudden appearance and began to attempted his way to pull it off. As he did though, the teen ended up ripping it harshly off of his face, making it feel as if he peeled half of his face off, looking up to the ceiling as he screamed out with agony. Half of his face bleeding, but soon, the blood vanished after blue flames and his eyes glowed gold when giving a maniacal flare at the king, the glow turning red. His whole body ended up being covered in blue flames as if his whole body was being taken over by a demon. 

The flames rose above him, chains rising around him as if he had the ability to free himself from the chains that held him down and held him back, finally given the ability to expel the chains from his existence. Ren exposed his confident smirk while he gave a deadly stare over at the king. As he proudly stood tall with determination, the owner of the voice that spoke to him before appeared behind him. He released the chains as if signalling the demon to flap his wings roughly against the king and the knights leading them to slam against the wall.

Ren appeared in a different kind of suit once the flames ran off of his whole body. His outfit consisted of a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, black pants, brown-black winkle pickers and a pair of red gloves.

"Wha... What the...?" Ryuji looked terrifyingly confused at the other student who stood confidently in front of him.

The demon-like gentleman introduced himself, "I am the pillager of twilight-- _Arsène_!" He exclaimed.

Ren looked at himself, noticing he was in a different attire, just as lost as Ryuji, "What the..."

"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you." Arsène spoke. "If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."

Ren turned around, finally looking at the demon-like figure who spoke earlier. It had very tall top hat, a long-horned mask for its face (as Arsène appears to not have a head), a cropped red eighteenth century-esque suit worn open with the collar popped, stitched heart designs on the shoulders, a white ruffle tie, a black, tailed corset running down its torso; large, black, feathery wings starting at around the small of its back; claws; red coverings on its legs resembling pants and boots with blade-like heels.

The teen was surprised of its appearance, but made him smile with a feel of boldness, nodding his head, "Give me your power." He gave a look of respect as he stated, making it sound as though he will use it for good.

"Hmph, very well..." Arsène responded.

"Who the hell are you?!" The king angrily looked up at Arsène, "Guards! Start by killing that one!" His "You'll know the true strength of my men." He laughed. 

Right after Kamoshida demanded his knights, they turned into pumpkin shaped phantoms, the facial feature of a Jack-o-Lantern and a cloak as though symbolizing the infamous Jack the Ripper, holding a lantern with its big white gloves, floating in the air.

 _What the...? Are those... Jack-o-latterns?_ Ren was bewildered, _What kind of demons are these?!_

"This power of mine is yours!" Arsène stated, "Kill them however you like. Run wild with your hearts content!" He laughed before vanishing.

 _What...?_ Ren was taken aback when unfamiliar words appeared in his mind, a feeling as if he has known them for years, "Arsène!" He called out, soon appearing behind him, _Eiha_ He thought, feeling somewhat like an idiot after saying an unfamiliar word. Yet a feeling of astonishment fell upon him as Arsène appeared behind him, slamming the ground, making a color of red, black and white swirl roughly around the enemy, making him vanish in an instant, then disappeared behind him. 

The other enemy struck back, making Ren stumble back. A bit of frustration began to stir, leading him to call out to Arsène once more, requesting the same trick. Within seconds, the opponent vanished into thin air, no longer in their presence. Ren huffed out a laugh, a grin of amusement crossing his face as he felt he succeeded. The unruly haired teen noticed a small bag where his enemy disappeared.

 _Hm... I never expected them to have actual money..._ Ren thought, surprised as he picked it up. He suddenly felt the feeling of strength course through his body, _With this power..._ He smirked, taking off his mask, looking at it with praise, _Thanks, Arsène._

"What..." Ryuji looked up at Ren with disbelief, "What was that just now?"

 _What kind of suit is this...?_ Ren questioned, suddenly crossing his mind again that he was in a completely different attire.

"You little..." The king snarled, making Ren and Ryuji jump back when they saw him approach them. "Aagh!" Ryuji slammed against him, making him fall to the floor.

"You like that, you son of a bitch!?" Ryuji smirked at him.

 _Yes!_ Ren smiled with satisfaction. "The key!" The black haired teen pointed out as he headed to the entrance of the cell.

"Y-You mean this?" The blonde headed teen looked at it before grabbing it. The two teens dashed out and Ryuji locked up the cell instantly, "Okay, it's locked!"

"Damn you!" Kamoshida growled, getting up from the ground.

"Hey! What was that just now?" He looked over at Ren, ignoring the king, "And... your clothes..." He looked up and down at his appearance finding it as a strange design.

"Like I've already said several times... your guess is as good as mine." His sighed with a faint chuckle, "What the--?"

"Whoa, it went back to normal!?" Ryuji asked, surprised by the sudden change of clothes as if it disappeared into thin air. "Waaaaah!" The teens jumped, putting their focus back on Kamoshida.

"You bastards!" He growled.

"God, this's effin' nuts!" He looked at the king before turning to Ren, "Anyways let's scram! You lead the way! Hrah!" He threw the keys as far as he could as he ran with Ren.

 _Seriously...? Why do I have to?_ Ren let out a huff, running ahead of Ryuji, heading mindlessly away from the cell. _So much for any day of this week going well._

"Goddamn thieves..." The king yelled out, shaking the bars out of anger. "After them! Don't let them escape!" He screamed with frustration, "Y-You bastards! You think you can get away with doing this to me!?"

"I don't give a shit! I ain't down for any of this! C'mon, let's get outta here!" He stated, awaiting for Ren to get ahead.

 _First the students, then the gym teacher, then this random castle that's where our school is supposed to be, now this guys dependence on me... Can this week get any_ ** _better_** _?_ He sighed, chuckling lightly at his sarcasm, looking around for some openings.

"C'mon, we gotta look for a way outta here." Ryuji said behind him.

 _Hm? Damn... this gate is locked._ He pushed against the locked gate, then looked aside him, _I guess we can cross this?_ He saw a broken bridge. _I guess this way?_ He jumped across and went through a gate, went down and saw another dead end, _Peachy... Well, I guess this is our only way._ He jumped cages that led to a different path.

"Yeesh... can we really get across this?" Ryuji looked hesitant. "On the other hand, there's nowhere else we can try... Alright, let's get to hoppin'." He finally followed behind Ren.

 _Seriously?_ Ren looked at him with disbelief, _Whatever..._ He waved his head, brushing off what Ryuji said, beginning to get further out, hoping for an exit.

"All this execution shit... Is he serious?" Ryuji inquired, looking back.

 _Will you please shut up and let me think...?_ He rolled his eyes, looking around, suddenly feeling somewhat like a prick for getting irritated so easily, but he could sense the cause of it was by the adults he's been dealing with ever since day one. _Damn it... another locked gate._ He grumbled then noticed some light coming from the side, noticing an opening from one of the cells, _Aha!_ He rushed towards it and went through.

"Crap! My bag is stuck!" Ryuji said, but Ren didn't stop, he wanted to get out of here, _fast_. He was already in deep shit and he certainly didn't want to get buried in even further.

Once they left the other cell, they ran across a bridge, "Is this... a drawbridge?" Ryuji asked, examining it for a second before continuing to follow.

 _What do you think?_ Ren thought, trying to hide his irritation since he didn't want to throw it at the blonde kid who helped him part way.

"Dude, the hell IS this place?" He asked.

"Like I've said before and will..." _Annoyingly..._ "Say again, _your guess is as good as mine..._ " He chuckled, looking around.

"Hey, we gotta hide!" Ryuji pointed out the knights that were across the river from them. "Over there... they're lookin' for us, right?" They hid behind barrels and cargo, across the river where the guards stood, "I ain't playing along with this anymore! We gotta find a way outta this goddamn place!" He said, peeking over. 

The guards headed down a pathway that was across from the two teens. The two adolescents ran through a door that was behind them which led them up a set of spiral-like stairs.

"If this goes up, you think it heads to the exit?" Ryuji questioned.

"Well, all we can do is find out." Ren responded, opening the big thick wooden door that was up at the top.

"Hey, let's get the hell outta this place!" He said, anxiously waiting for Ren to open the doors. "Dude... you gotta be jokin'..." His eyes widened, looking at the next hallway, "This ain't the exit!? What the hell is this place?!"

Ren growled, hoping to reach the exit soon. The teen didn't want to get in trouble his first week, but his luck just kept disappearing left and right. He sighed deeply, turning left, going down a pathway.

"Huh...?" Ren stopped once his eyes landed on a few people locked in cages with iron masks locked on their heads.

"H-Hey... Look..." Ryuji did the same, "We really did hear people screamin'... so we ain't the only ones who got captured!"

 _Well... I'm glad I ended up in a jail cell than a cage like that..._ Ren thought, thankfully relieved. _Now where's the exit..._ He looked around, _Aha!_ He noticed a bridge straight ahead.

"Is, uh... Is he okay...?" Ryuji asked, still looking at the students, before realizing he was a little behind Ren, "There's something up there. A bridge... and a statue?"

 _Damn... a drawbridge..._ Ren groused, already tired out from trying to find an exit. _Okay... let's see here..._ He looked at the bridge then the statue. _So he really does think he's the king who gets to do anything at this school, huh_? A chuckle escaped, crossing his arms with a smirk of ridiculousness. 

"Shit, this bridge's raised up! Ain't there some way to lower it!?" The other teen said, his irritation beginning to become higher than Ren's.

Ren looked at it once more before deciding to go further down the pathway, soon seeing it led to nothing, but a dead end.

"Another dead end...?" Ryuji said, rolling his eyes, "Dammit! How the hell're we supposed to get outta here!?"

"...Hey, you there." Somebody spoke out of nowhere.

 _Huh...?_ Ren looked around, searching for the owner of the voice. _Is this another one of those demons...?_ He became a little wary, but more curious than concerned.

"Blondie! Frizzy Hair! Look over here!" The voice continued.

"What is this thing!?" Ryuji was the first to find the owner.

It was an anthropomorphic and biped cat-like creature with a large spheroidal head. Its fur was predominantly black, except on its limbs and tail which appeared white. The bottom front half of its face is also white. It wore a mask that covers most of its face (which can be unbuttoned from behind it appeared) with elliptic eyes consisting of white sclerae, blue irises and black pupils. Its outer ears were black with white inner ears. It had a yellow scarf around its neck and an utility belt around its hips, with two golden buttons and two bags attached and pink paw pads.

"You're not soldiers of this castle, right!? Get me out of here!" The strange creature said, looking a bit embarrassingly scared. "Look, the key's right there!" The creature pointed in the direction.

"We're trying to get the hell out of here!" Ryuji stated, "I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!"

"I'm locked up here, so how can I be you enemy!? Help me out!" The creature pointed out the obvious.

"...A cat?" Ren looked at the strange creature, _Am I losing it...?_ He breathed out a scoff with disbelief.

"I am NOT a cat! Say that again and I'll make you regret it!" He objected harshly with a deathly glare.

A sound of footsteps grew louder, warning everyone that people were approaching, "They're catchin' up already!" Ryuji looked in the direction, filled with anxiety. "Shit, there's still no service. Ain't there any way to contact someone outside!?" He pulled out his phone frantically, Ren checking his own phone as well, "How the hell do we get out!?"

"Hey, you two!" The cat-like creature shouted, trying to grab their attention, "You want to know where the exit is? Let me out and I'll take you there." He grinned, knowing that would convince the two teens easily. "You don't want to get caught and executed, right?"

"Can you really help us?" Ren asked soon after.

"This thing sounds like it's all talk..." Ryuji looked over at Ren, giving a look of _really?_

"If you guys think you can get out on your own, then be my guest!" The creature glared up at them.

"What do we do?" The blonde haired teen looked over at Ren, then jolted after hearing the footsteps, "Are you seriously not messing with us!?" He looked over at the creature.

"If you don't hurry, they'll catch you." He smirked.

"F-Fine..." The blonde-headed teen sighed.

"Ahhhh... Freedom tastes so great..." A smile slid across his face as he stretched.

"Now, where's the exit, you monster cat!?" Ryuji asked instantly, prepared to run.

"Don't call me a cat! I am Morgana!" He looked up with anger.

 _He sure seems to accept monster than cat._ Ren breathed out a chuckle.

"Shuddup and hurry it up! You wanna be locked up again!?" Ryuji bit back.

"A-All right, sheesh!" Morgana sighed heavily. "Follow me, and stay quiet!"

 _Seriously...? Following a cat?_ Ren huffed, slightly amused how things were going just to keep his head on.

"Oh well... Guess we just gotta follow it." The blonde headed teen said, practically saying Ren's thoughts aloud. "What're you doin'?" He asked, seeing Morgana head back to the statue.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm lowering the bridge." The cat like character responded, "You, Frizzy Hair. It seems like you pick up on things faster than our Blondie over here. Try checking around the mouth of this statue, okay?"

 _Okay...?_ Ren gave a look of confusion as he examined the statue. _I think I can do... this...?_ He thought, pulling down the jaw of the statue. _Creepy..._ The eyes turned red and the draw bridge connected.

"How were we supposed to know to do that!?" Ryuji asked with disbelief.

"Hmph, amateur. Come on, let's keep going!" He sighed, running ahead, leading the way.

As they ran down corridors they bumped into a guard. The ruffian fell back and Ren's former appearance reappeared. Morgana jumped over Ryuji and scoffed, looking back at the vulgar teen before looking at the enemy.

"A-Aah! Shit... Shit, it's them!" Ryuji said, startled.

"Tch... You amateur." Morgana smirked. "Stay still!" He said to the blonde headed kid before looking up at Ren, "Hey, you! You could fight, right? Let's go!" He flipped as he called out a name. "Come... Zorro!"

Out of nowhere another demon-like character appeared above Morgana. It looked more muscular, with the exception of its thighs and feet which looked very similar to humans'. It also had a large belt with a huge belt buckle shaped like a "Z." It wielded a rapier.

"Y-You got one of those things too!?" Ryuji shouted, shocked.

"Hmph, we will promptly shut them up!" Morgana smiled confidently.

 _What type of demon is that...?_ Ren was taken aback when a different creature appeared. It was a small demon-like figure, floating alongside the Jack-o-lantern. _Wait... is that an incubus? I didn't know they really existed!_

The black haired teenfelt he has officially lost it. He wanted some answers, but he was forced to fight alongside Morgana, with no choice given. The teen didn't have that much of a complaint since he's already dealt with it not that long ago, so he felt he could handle it, especially with the assistance of this unknown cat-like creature.

 _I'll save the questions for later._ He shook his head, trying to put full focus on what they're dealing with, _I need to focus on getting out of here first. I'd rather deal with getting scolded than be killed in this weird looking castle._

"Damn Shadow... they've taken up intercept positions!" Morgana stated.

 _Shadows...?_ Ren looked at them, _They look more like some type of demons, but I guess I can view them as shadows...?_ The teen had trouble processing this whole thing and all these odd looking creatures, but he pushed it aside and followed Morgana's lead.

"Looks like it's not about capturing us anymore... They're out for blood!" Morgana grumbled, a look of conviction appearing on his face.

 _Blood?!_ Ren breathed out a scoff of disbelief, his eyes growing wide, _I am not going to die like this!_ He growled, giving a look of frustration, his hand gripping his knife tightly, awaiting to fight.

"I'll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let's go!" Morgana yelled out with courage.

 _You don't have to tell me twice._ Ren cackled, calling, "Arsène!" He started to get use to Arsène's appearance, _Eiha_ He thought. He first targeted the Jack-o-lantern, seeing it get pushed back, still there in front of them, _Damn..._

"Hmph, I knew you were an amateur." Morgana smirked, jumping up and down.

 _Whatever..._ Ren rolled his eyes with a small laugh, awaiting to see his move. 

"This is how you fight! Zorro!" His appeared behind him and its sword moved like the shape of a Z, a look of forced wind wrapped around the same shadow, this time leading it to fall to the ground.

 _Whoa..._ The black haired teen chuckled, a bit surprised by finding its weakness.

"Strike at an enemy's weakness to knock them down! Use that opening to strike again!" Morgana stated, "That's the most basic of basics! Remember it well!" He let out a small chuckle.

 _Duly noted._ Ren breathed out a laugh.

"C'mon, let's hurry and get through this!" Morgana said with confidence. "Zorro!" He summoned it again, aiming towards the other enemy.

The enemies both struck Morgana, making him stumble back a little. A growl escaped Ren's lips, striking back at one of the shadows, leading it to vanish.

 _Hmph, serves you right._ He sneered.

Morgana summoned Zorro again, making it do its same move, making the other one disappear seconds after.

 _Hm... not bad..._ Ren said, picking up the two bags they left behind, feeling himself become stronger. _Thanks again, Arsène._ He smiled. _Hm...? What the...?_ Right after he collected the small bags, another word appeared in his mind, _Cleave...? Is that another power of his?_ He grabbed his head, feeling a little light-headed. "Nng..." He groaned faintly, closing his eyes tightly. "Huh...?" When he opened his eyes while looking up, "Suzui-san...?" He whispered out, about to reach out again, _N-No... I'm just seeing things again._ He shook his head, trying to straighten his vision.

Shiho jolted after hearing Ren's voice call out to her again, _N-No... I'm just hearing things. He couldn't possibly be in my class._ She laughed lightly, feeling awkwardly uncomfortable. _Amamiya-san... I hope he's doing okay..._ Shiho stared out the window, noticing Ann's class right across from hers, _He's still not at school?_ Worrisome crossed her once noticing the empty seat behind Ann's. She couldn't focus right after seeing he still wasn't at school yet, "Amamiya-san..." She whispered faintly, only for her to hear and suddenly Ren being able to hear, too.

 _No, no, no... She's not here... It's all in my head..._ He scoffed, trying to keep his head cleared so he could escape this hellhole.

"Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful." Morgana looked up at him with a smile.

 _Persona...?_ Ren asked himself, _Okay, so they're known as that, huh? Okay..._ The teen tried to keep it in his mind if something like this ever happened again.

"Persona?" Ryuji asked, practically doing Ren a favor. "Y'mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?"

"Yes. You saw how Frizzy Haired here ripped off his mask when he summoned it, right?" Morgana looked over, "Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that..."

Ren's appearance changed back into his uniform, making them jump, "Huh? He turned back to normal..."

"Hm, it looks like you don't have full control over your power yet." Morgana stated. "The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that. After all--"

"Rrgh, that's enough! This crap doesn't make any sense!" Ryuji cut in.

"Can't you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie!?" Morgana hissed.

"Don't call me Blondies! My name's Ryuji..." He bit back.

"Actually, there's no time for me to lecture you!" Morgana looked back and forth at the teens. "You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Let's go!" He reached in his bag, "Oh, but before that-- take these. Use them carefully, okay?"

 _Medicine?_ Ren grabbed them, setting them in his pocket.

"Come on, we should hurry. It's not much farther to the exit." Morgana said, beginning to walk ahead, "Just make sure you're good on HP, okay? There's still a chance we'll end up having to fight in here."

 _HP?_ Ren furrowed his brows, still confused, _Whatever..._ _Let's just get out of here, **quickly**._ He sighed, beginning to walk ahead of Morgana. They ran through a hallway and led themselves to a set of stairs, running straight to the end, _Damn it... another drawbridge._ Ren sighed with slight frustration, but saw the same kind of statue from the last bridge they crossed. _Aha!_ Before he was about to head over, Ryuji stopped them. _What now?_ The black haired teen exhaled with annoyance.

"Hold on a sec!" Ryuji called over, heading to one of the cells noticing someone lie face down on the stone cold floor. "I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before..." He walked closer, "Dammit! I'm too flustered! I can't remember anything right now!" Ryuji growled.

"Come on, let's go!" Morgana said aloud, irritation rising as he headed towards the statue.

"Hold on, dammit!" Ryuji stopped him.

"What is it? We need to go, fast!" Morgana glared over.

"But... who are these guys?" Ryuji questioned.

"Do you really think you have time to worry about other people right now!?" Morgana hissed. "Besides, they're--"

"There!" Someone yelled out before Morgana could finish his sentence.

The bridge drew back and a guard appeared across from it, running straight towards them, "You should've listened to me...!" Morgana groaned.

"Let's fight." Ren stated quickly, hoping his attire would return, which thankfully did just a second after he finished his sentence.

"I'm glad you stick with your guns." Morgana laughed, looking over at him before looking back at the enemy.

The enemy ended up turning into somewhat like two fairies dressed in navy blue. _Really...? Fairies...?_ Ren breathed out a chuckle, _Okay... here goes._ He let out a sigh, preparing to fight.

"Looks like it's raring to got too!" Morgana pointed out.

He looked at the closest fairy-like persona aiming to fight that one first, hitting it with his dagger. The fairy struck back just seconds after out of anger. Morgana summoned Zorro and hit it with wind, leading it to vanish into thin air, leaving one last fairy for them to finish. Before they could go after it, it tried to strike Morgana, but he dodged it, letting Ren grab the opportunity to summon Arsène. He ended the last fairy with _Eiha_ , leading it to vanish in an instant.

 _Hm... not bad, I guess._ Ren walked over and picked up the bags they left behind, finding a decent amount of money. "Whoa! Seriously? Again?" The teen jolted once seeing his attire change back into his school uniform.

"All right! Let's get away before more show up!" Morgana started to run ahead, but was stop by Ryuji calling his back.

"Hold on, we can't just leave these guys here!" He gave a look of irritation.

"You really don't get it, do you? Hrgh... There's no time to explain." Morgana groaned, "Look, I'm going. If you don't want to follow, be my guest!" Morgana continued to run ahead.

"Dammit... Fine, I'm coming!" Ryuji was frustrated, stuck between wanting to do something and wanting to retreat.

Ren looked back at the person in the cell one more time before following after. _I hope this isn't real..._

"The entrance hall is right above here! The exit's close... Keep it up!" They ran up a set of stairs and ran through the entrance hall.

 _Wait... Why can't we go out the front?_ Ren noticed, but continued to follow.

"We're here!" Morgana smiled.

"Finally! We're saved!" Ryuji sighed with relief, heading towards the wrong door. "Nnh... It's not openin'! D'you trick us, you jerk!?" He growled over at Morgana.

"Don't jump to conclusions! Over here!" Morgana laughed, entering the room right behind himself.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Ryuji ran right after Ren. "Where are we supposed to get out from here!? There aren't even any windows!"

"Ugh, amateur..." Morgana rolled his eyes, "This is the most basic of basics."

Ren glanced over after feeling a breeze from above, "A ventilation shaft?" He looked up.

"That's right! As I thought, you're a natural at this." Morgana beamed, "It leads all the way outside."

"I see..." Ryuji said, finally noticing, "Then we just gotta get that metallic mesh off!" He ran up, grabbing it, "And a one, and a--" He fell back on the ground, "Whoa!"

 _Ooh... that's gotta hurt._ Ren flinched, taking a step back, avoiding from getting pushed back to the ground, along with Ryuji. "You okay there, bud?" He let out a chuckle, helping him up.

"Yeah... I'm fine, thanks." Ryuji sighed, reaching out. "Oww... Crap! The enemy didn't hear us, did they?" He looked towards the door, "Seriously, we're finally gettin' outta here!"

"You should wait on celebrating until you actually get out." Morgana snickered, looking up. "Now, get going."

 _You don't have to tell me twice._ Ren huffed out a laugh.

"But... what about you?" Ryuji asked.

"There's something that I still have to do." He replied.

 _I hope he'll be okay..._ Ren thought, some concerns beginning to cross.

"We're going our separate ways." He continued.

"Thanks." Ren looked over, smiling gently at him before heading to the vent.

"Heh. You've got manners." Morgana beamed. "Be careful on your way."

Ryuji jumped out first, Ren following behind.

"These two seem useful. Especially the frizzy-haired one, if my judgment's right..." Morgana crossed his arms, thinking as he saw the two teens leave.

"Did we make it?" Ryuji asked, catching his breath as he looked up.

"Appears so." Ren sighed with a smile.

"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back." His phone suddenly stated, making him jump.

"Huh? Returned?" Ryuji looked over, surprised. "Does that mean we got away?"

"Probably." Ren laughed, still trying to process the whole event.

"I dunno what to think anymore..." Ryuji rubbed the back of his head, groaning.

"You and me both." Ren breathed out a laugh.

"What was all that anyways? That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat!" He looked back. "The hell's goin' on!?" Ryuji asked, looking back at Ren.

"What's with the yelling? Are you students of Shuji?" A couple of officers questioned, walking up to them.

 _Damn it... I'm already in enough trouble..._ Ren sighed.

"Cutting classes, are we?" The officer continued.

"Huh? No!" Ryuji practically started to pour gas in the fire that they were already dealing with, "We were tryin' to get to school, and we ended up at this weird castle!"

 _Seriously? Do you really think they would believe us?_ Ren looked over at him with disbelief followed by a scoff.

"...What?" The aggressive officer questioned, bewildered. "Hand over you bag. You better not be doing any drugs."

 _Of course... already assuming the worst._ Ren sighed. _Though from the looks of it, I can understand why they'd assume that._ He tried to stifle a laugh.

"Why would you think that!?" Ryuji glared.

"Are you his friend?" The officer looked over at Ren.

He succeeded at keeping a straight face as he replied, "Never met him." Not wanting to bury his own grave even deeper.

"Don't lie like that! Tell 'em what happened!" Ryuji folded his arms, giving a look of disbelief at what Ren stated. "Like I'm tryin' to say... I don't know what's goin' on either!"

"We passed by Shujin on our way here. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it." The police officer responded. "If you spout any more nonsense, I'll contact your school. Is that what you want?"

"C'mon, say somethin'!" Ryuji looked over, hoping Ren would back him up.

"I don't want to be late." He responded, turning around, heading to school, _Even though I bet I've missed more than half of the day..._ He sighed, his fists turning into a shape of a ball, struggling to figure out what happened.

"Uh, that's not what I meant..." Ryuji looked at him, giving a look of shock as he shook his head. "W-Wait a sec! Is that guy for real?" He growled, his frustration growing "...Fine, I'm goin'!"

The two teens returned to school, seeing it was back to normal, "Is this for real...?" Ryuji's eyes widened out of astonishment.

 _Heh... Now I feel we've actually lost it..._ He exhaled, feeling just as surprised.

"I'm sure we came the same way... What's goin' on here...?" Ryuji looked over at Ren.

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you." The counselor walked up. "We received a call from the police."

"That damn cop snitched on us after all!" Ryuji mumbled, looking away.

"It's rare not to see you alone." The counselor continued. "Where were you roaming around until this time?"

"Uhh... a ca-- a castle?" Ryuji was thinking if he should actually tell the full truth that everyone would see automatically as a lie.

 _Are you serious...?_ Ren rolled his eyes, looking over at Ryuji, " Do you seriously think people would believe us? I can't even believe us..." Ren mumbled.

"So, you have no intention of giving an honest answer?" The man asked.

"What's this about a _castle_?" Someone walked up from behind the counselor.

_Ugh... this guy... Can my day get any worse...?_ He laughed.

"Kamoshida!?" Ryuji yelled out, shocked.

"You seem so carefree, Sakamoto." The gym teacher said, "Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team."

"Shuddup! It's you fault that--"

"How dare you speak that way to Mr. Kamoshida!" The counselor interrupted, "...There's not much leeway left for you, you know?"

"He's the one that provoked me!" Sakamoto bit back.

Ren sighs deeply, trying to hold back a growl as he notices the gym teacher grin wryly.

"Do you really want to be expelled!?" The counselor rose his voice. "In any case you'll have to explain yourself! Follow me!"

"What!? This is bullshit!" Ryuji rose his voice even louder.

"Come now. I should have been more considerate, too. let's just say that we were both to blame." Kamoshida grinned, hiding his amusement towards the kids reaction.

"Well, if you say so..." The counselor responded. "Still, you're coming with me. It's undeniable that you're extremely late."

"Fine..." Sakamoto resigned.

"By the way... you're that new transfer student, correct? Ren Amamiya?" Kamoshida asked.

"Finally saying my name this time, hm?" Ren looked up, staring daggers, not even noticing what he said, the words just slipping out.

Ryuji looked over, surprised then smiled before heading upstairs, following the counselor and glaring at the teacher along the way.

"...Have we met somewhere?" The teacher glared back at Ren.

"I saw a girl in your car." Ren said, his facial expression not changing. _Though we've met multiple times before..._ He looked away.

"Hm...? Oh, I remember now... I saw you at the station." He let out a laugh, scratching his head. "...Well, I'll overlook this just for today." His face turning back into a stern look, "I'm sure you're heard from the principal, but cause any trouble and you'll be expelled. Understand?"

"Can you overlook more?" Ren smirked, trying to provoke him and amuse himself.

"Is that supposed to be a joke? I'm not laughing." He growled, his hands gripping tightly. "At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms. Kawakami's tired of waiting." He turned around, but stopped and looked back over, "Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life."

After the lecture he received from his homeroom teacher, he attended class and tried to focus on class this time, hoping to get the whole scenario out of his head. He succeeded part way, but began to lose himself in the process, feeling frustration. Ren looked out the window, hoping to calm his nerves, so he could come back to reality. As the teen looked out, he noticed Shiho right across, looking outside the window, looking up at the gloomy sky.

A smile crossed Ren's face once his eyes landed on her. He was hoping she would notice him, and finally, luck appeared as she saw him look over at her with a faint smile and a small wave. A giggle left her lips as she gave a soft grin towards him and waved back. They both gave a sigh of relief, before putting their attention back to class.

 _I'm glad he's okay._ She thought.

 _I'm glad she's okay._ He thought.

Class ended and he walked outside of his classroom, feeling a little better. When he walked out, he became light-headed, _What the hell...? Not again..._ He groaned when seeing the hall turn into the hall he saw in the castle. He shook his head, hoping he was just seeing things again.

"Hm? What's wrong?" His teacher walked out a few minutes after him.

"Is this a school?" Ren looked over after trying to clear his head.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She sighed. "Also... it seems like people are already talking about you, but I'm not the one who told them." She looked down, giving an annoyed expression, "I can't even catch a break... Why do I have to deal with this?" Kawakami looked back at him, "You should head straight home without stopping by anywhere. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry."

 _Damn it..._ He growled, gripping his hands, knowing he was screwed.

"Oh, and about Sakamoto-kun. Don't get involved--" He appeared while she was beginning to warn him, "Speak of the devil..." She folded here arms with a sigh, "What do you want? I heard the police caught you cutting classes today."

"Ugh... It was nothin'." He responded, trying to avoid the topic.

"And you haven't dyed your hair back to black either..." she rested on hand on her hip, sighing deeply.

"Sorry'bout that." Ryuji responded before walking up to Ren to whisper in his ear. "...I'll be waitin' on the rooftop."

 _I really don't want to deal with this anymore..._ Ren sighed, closing his eyes, trying to catch his breath.

"See? That's why I don't want you getting involved. Understood?" She looked down with disappointment.

"You don't have to tell me twice." He mumbled with a chuckle. Ren was about to walk downstairs, hoping to catch his breath, but stopped when he saw the principal and gym teacher appear in front of him. _Give me a break... Right in front of me... Really?_ He shook his head with a small laugh.

"Why did you allow a student like him to transfer here? He's already started associating with Sakamoto." The gym teacher started. "A student with a criminal record, and the culprit of an assault case. At this rate, it'd be pointless how much I contribute to the school."

 _Damn prick thinking all high and mighty..._ Ren rolled his eyes, feeling as though Kamoshida was stirring the pot.

"Now, don't be like that..." The principal replied, "This school counts on you, Kamoshida-kun. You are our star." He gave an awkward chuckle, "Still, a steady build-up is necessary behind such brilliance as well."

"...Your troubles never seem to end, do they, Principal Kobayakawa?" He sighed, "All right, I understand. I'll continue to do my best to answer to your expectations of me." He grinned, looking conceited. The principal and teacher then walked away, heading in different directions.

 _Sakamoto seems eager to talk about something..._ Ren inhaled then exhaled slowly, _I should meet him on the rooftop... I guess... But first, I'm gonna grab some air without his presence so I process this whole thing before I feel I've actually lost my sanity._ He laughed, beginning to walk downstairs.

As he walked downstairs and turned to head to the courtyard he bumped into someone, "Oh! I am so sorry-- Suzui-san?" Ren was startled, then a small smile crossed his face as he looked at her, but the smile faded and a look of deep concern appeared instantly. "Are you okay!?"

"Amamiya-san...?" She looked up at him, pale as a ghost.

"You should go to the infirmary!" He held onto her arms gently, helping her stay up.

"I-I can't... I still have practice..." She mumbled, her eyes beginning to close.

Ren's eyebrows furrowed, his concerns growing even more, "Let's-- Suzui-san!?" He caught her as she landed in his arms. An uncomfortable groan left his lips, he looked all around, thinking of asking for assistants, but shook his head and picked her up, bridal style, _Please be okay..._ He rushed to the infirmary. "Um... nurse?" He walked in, hoping to see someone there to take care of Shiho, _Damn... no one here..._ He huffed. _Okay... I'll set her down on the bed and try and go look for the nurse._

As he was about to leave to search for the nurse, his shirt was grabbed and a mumble of, _Please... don't leave me..._ He looked back and saw tears slide down Shiho's face. Her face turning into a look of pain.

 _Damn it..._ Ren growled, feeling helpless.

Ren placed his hands on her cheeks softly, wiping away the tears, a small smile gliding across her face as she gave a look of relief, which led Ren to doing the same. The teen sat down beside her, trying to think of a way to help her. He was hesitant, but went with his instincts. _Okay... Okay... I can do this... I can totally do this..._ The teen closed his eyes, his heart racing furiously. _I can't do this, but I have to! Damn it!_

The teen built up his courage and placed his forehead on hers, seeing if she has a high temperature. He felt like his heart was about to explode, but it automatically got ignored once he felt she was burning up. He looked around and grabbed a damp cloth to put on her forehead, then noticed she was sweating. He grabbed a dry cloth and tried to wipe away all of the sweat.

 _Okay... what to do next?_ He look around, thinking of what else needed to be done. _Cool her down, dry her off, what else...? Ah! Medicine!_ As he was about to head over to the cabinets, it was then he realized the most awkwardest thing and unbelievable thing he felt he couldn't bring himself to do. _Please no... not this type of medicine..._ He noticed it was a liquid type that she needed to drink. _Okay... I'll just wake her up. Yeah! That's it._ Ren groaned, praying she would wake up. Once he poured the medicine in a small cup he walked over to her, and sat down, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to lift her up as he tried to wake her. _Please... I beg of you... Please wake up..._ He whined like a puppy, his heart throbbing.

The teen looked at the cup then at her. She was out like a light. Shiho wouldn't wake up. Her face looked like she was burning up. It put a lot of pressure on the black haired student. He wanted to help her so bad, but he didn't know how. The young girl started to whine in her sleep, her brows furrowing from the cause of pain. At that point, Ren felt he really had no choice.

 _I am so sorry, Suzui-san..._ He closed his eyes tightly, _Please forgive me..._

He groaned lightly out of pain and guilt before he put the medicine in his mouth. Once it was all in his mouth he slowly approached her face. He opened her mouth slightly so he could give her the medicine, mouth to mouth. The student felt his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

 _Hurry! Please! For God's sake, hurry!_ His eyes tightened more as his heart ran a mile a second.

He heard a sudden moan escape which led him to peek, finally seeing she was drinking it. A faint sigh of relief escaped as all of the medicine was out of his mouth. He covered his mouth, his heart still throbbing roughly against his rib cage. He noticed that she was finally cooling down a bit. He covered his face trying to cool himself down from what just happened. As his heart came down to a regular pulse, he saw the nurse finally arrived and a smile crossed his face.

"Please take care of her, her fever is down, but I don't know how her condition will be later." He looked at the nurse with an expression of plead, "Thank you." 

He bowed as the nurse headed towards her, checking her temperature, seeing it was back to normal. Once he left and once the nurse put the curtain around her, Shiho turned away and covered her mouth, her face turning completely red as she then covered her face, her heart racing just as fast. Ren placed his arm over his mouth, trying to get the thought out of his mind, but he didn't succeed. The whole thing was practically on repeat, burning and turning it into a memory.

"I can't believe this..." He mumbled, a feeling of guilt still brewing inside him, _I can't believe this turned out to be my first kiss... I really hope this wasn't hers either. God, what is wrong with me!?_

He facepalmed himself over and over once he entered the men's restroom, hoping to cool himself down as he splashed water on his face. He looked himself in the mirror, filled with disbelief. When he looked at his lips, he traced a couple of his fingers around it. He felt devastated for what just happened, but his heart skipped a beat once remembering the softness of them, which lessened it just a little.

The lips were so soft. Her skin was so smooth. She looked so beautiful to him when he was up close to where he felt he was enchanted by her. It wasn't just her appearance that he admired. It was her soul. A soft grin slid across his face. He wanted to forget everything, but at this point, he knew he couldn't... no, truthfully he didn't want to forget anything that has happened between them.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind as he was walking outside, _I'll go meet Sakamoto-san. I really hope I don't remember any of this._ He lied to himself, _And I really hope Suzui-san doesn't know anything about it..._ He looked down as he stopped in his tracks, _I'm so sorry, Suzui-san..._ He thought to himself over and over as he headed upstairs, hoping he'll be calm enough to deal with what he's going to be dealing with once he reaches the rooftop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been awhile. I've been struggling with writers block again, but I'm slowly getting back to it. I hope it's okay, or at least decent. Anyway, until then...


	8. Discomfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are times where you would wish the day was officially over.

_**Before the Infirmary...** _

_Huh...? Why am I so light headed?_ Shiho thought to herself.

She was staggering her way to the gym. The black haired student massaged the side of her head as she continued to walk ahead. She was weak to where she ended up dragging herself against the wall, trying her best to walk steadily. Shiho ended up closing her eyes to where she didn't even know she'd end up bumping into someone.

"Huh...? I'm... I'm so sorry." She put a lot of effort to looking up, "Amamiya-san...?" She breathed out difficulty. _I'm so glad he's doing okay_. A small smile slid across her face.

"You should go to the infirmary!" He held onto her arms gently, helping her stay up. 

She jolted a little by the sudden grasp, but a sigh of relief escaped her lips. Shiho felt as though she was finally protected. Yes, the young woman didn't know much about him, and yet she still felt she could put trust in him. The way he held her gently in his hold. The voice that wiped away all the others that made her feel as though her ears were being tainted by those who pressured her. The beating of his heart sounding like an easing melody that made her feel as though her heart beat was matching his, thinking to herself as if their hearts were playing a duet. Everything that continuously grew felt as though it was all melting away which made her feel like she could breathe again and finally rest. Before she knew it, her calmness finally took over to where she passed out in his arms. 

Her final sentence being, "I-I can't... I still have practice..." She mumbled, her eyes finally fully closing shut.

"Let's-- Suzui-san!?" Is the last thing she could hear before she blacked out unwillingly.

 _Huh...?_ She felt like she was being cradled, _Am I in someone's hold...?_ She thought to herself, having the inability to speak, _Who could it be?_ She became wary, hoping it wasn't her gym teacher again, _Hm...? This... grasp. It feels so familiar._ Her eyes tightened, frustrated on figuring out who it could be, _It's not Ann... Who could it be!?_

"It's okay. Everything's going to be fine. You'll be taken care of soon." The voice spoke softly.

 _Ren...?_ Once she recognized the voice, she was at ease again, _He feels so warm..._ She sighed with relief and admiration, resting her head on his shoulder as though he was a pillow, finally resting peacefully, surrendering herself to the sandman.

* * *

Shiho moaned when she felt something was placed on her lips, _Am I drinking something...?_ _The taste is so bitter, but it also tastes... sweet?_ The fragile student thought, trying to absorb what could possibly be happening, _Hm...? Why does this glass feel so soft? Am I... Am I being kissed!?_

She wanted to open her eyes and push the person away, automatically assuming it was Kamoshida. The young woman tried her best to move, but all she could do was open her eyes. As she forcefully opened her eyes, she ended up gasping and closed her eyes tightly, unconsciously drinking the medicine Ren gave her.

 _Ren!? I can't believe I'm kissing Ren!_ She mentally screamed, leading herself to moan.

Her body ended up tensing up even more. She could barely breathe after noticing she was practically kissing Ren. Shiho thought that her heart was about to burst as it throbbed against her rib cage. The adolescent thought she should push him away. No, she _felt_ she should push him away, but in the back of her mind, she knew in all honesty... she didn't want to. But she denied the thought and the feel and used her inability to move as an excuse.

 _Please hurry up!_ She pleaded.

The two teens felt so uncomfortable, both of their hearts deafening out the others. Both of their faces turned red. Shiho tried to hide it as best as she could, pretending she was finally relaxed after being forced to take the medicine, but deep down inside, she wanted to scream out of embarrassment and disbelief. The adolescent didn't want to admit it, but she didn't mind what just happened. She couldn't bring herself to admit it though. The young woman begged that he would leave soon so she could organize her thoughts and finally fully relax.

Shiho heard him stand up and begin to walk away. _Hm...?_ She peeked, seeing him look at the nurse kindly before he bowed and walked away.

"Please take care of her, her fever is down, but I don't know how her condition will be later." He looked at the nurse with an expression of plead, "Thank you." She heard before he was finally gone.

 _Heh... I don't know how to feel about this._ Shiho sighed faintly, closing her eyes, _I feel_ _I_ _should've pushed him away once_ _I_ _awoke, but... why didn't I?_

Shiho started to daze as she rested on the bed. The young woman rested her arm over her eyes, blocking the blinding light and gripped her chest with her free one. Countless sighs continued throughout the time she spent recovering there. Her thoughts just kept building up with questions as if sounding as though it like a broken record, saying the same thing over and over again. She turned on her side, burying her arms under the firm pillow as her thoughts continued to wander.

 _His lips were so firm, yet so soft._ Shiho chuckled lightly, speechlessly lost on how to view this, _Would I even count this as my first kiss...?_ She traced her fingers around her lips. _Was this possibly... his first kiss as well? No... of course not... it couldn't possibly..._ She took it as a joke, even though it led to a twinge in her chest by the thought.

She closed her eyes tightly with a small moan, her mind boggling by the memory of the feel of his lips that met hers. The firm, yet gentle grip he held when he had her in his arm. The touch of his smooth, slender fingers gently touching her lips. His warmth resonating when he inched closer to her. His whole presence felt both intense and so calming to where she felt she was being washed away by a river.

 _I can't believe this..._ She sighed.

Shiho wanted to erase the whole scenario, but there was a part of her that wouldn't. No... a part of her that _didn't_ want to do it. This was practically a moment that turned into a burning memory she knew she couldn't, let alone didn't want to get rid of it at all. She turned and looked in the direction he left, effortlessly sighing as though it was on repeat. Putting effort into supporting her countless unanswered questions that suffocated her and made her mind become so cloudy to where she couldn't think straight.

 _I'll just sleep this off and forget..._ She sighed once more before falling into a deep slumber once again.

* * *

"...There you are." Sakamoto said, looking over at Ren.

 _Yeah... I feel I didn't have much of a choice._ He chuckled faintly, looking away.

"Sorry for callin' you up here like this." He said, grabbing Ren's attention back towards him.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled faintly, trying to get his mind off of what just happened not long ago.

"I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like, 'don't get involved with him,' huh?" Ryuji assumed.

"She said you're trouble." Ren responded nonchalantly.

"Heh, we're pretty much in the same boat." Sakamoto said, leaning back in his seat, looking away.

"Heh... Can't deny that. I guess..." Ren sighed deeply, looking aside again, trying to rid his discomfort.

"I heard you got a criminal record. Everyone's talkin' about it." He brought up. "No wonder you were so gutsy." 

Ren groaned, "Can you please not bring that up?" He mumbled, heading over to once of the spare desks, sitting on the edge of one.

"...What was all that that happened? You know, how we almost got killed at a castle..." He questioned, "It wasn't a dream... right? You remember it too, yeah?"

"Yeah." He sighed, looking down, "Doesn't mean I want to remember nor believe what happened," He chuckled lightly before looking back at Ryuji. _But I have to admit... I'd rather try and believe that than what happened in the nurses office._ He sighed deeply again.

"Well, just 'cause we both remember it doesn't mean much though..." Ryuji said, "I mean, even if it was a dream, you saved me from Kamoshida." He added with a look of praise, "So yeah... Thank's Ren."

 _Going to first name basis, huh?_ He breathed out a laugh, _Guess I don't mind it..._ He sighed, looking over at Ryuji with a faint grin. "You're welcome."

"But man, that Kamoshida we saw there..." He growled once bringing up the gym teacher, "You prolly don't know about it, but there are some rumors about him."

"Kamoshida..." Ren asked, _I bet countless._

"You know, the guy you met at the school gates. The ripped one. That asshole who was all full of himself at the castle." Ryuji brought up, "No one says anything against him 'cause he's some medalist who took the volleyball team to nationals." He said, "The way Kamoshida was a kind of that castle felt crazy real 'cause of that..." The ruffian said, looking down with a groan of frustration, "...I wonder if we can go back to that castle again..."

 _Please no..._ Ren exhaled.

"Ugh, forget it. Must've all been a dream! It has to be!" He growled, rushing out of his seat.

 _Thank you!_ He breathed out with relief.

"Sorry to drag you out here like this. That's all I had to say." Ryuji smiled. "You know, we might be pretty similar." His grin grew, "I feel like we're gonna get along just as 'troublemakers.'"

 _Yeah... I guess. After all, I am seen as a delinquent at this school._ He laughed faintly.

"I'm Ryuji Sakamoto." He beamed.

 _I know... you're quite infamous to a few teachers._ Ren thought.

"I'll come talk if I see you around. Don't ignore me, all right?"

 _As if I have much of a choice..._ He cackled, nodding his head, watching Ryuji walk away.

"Seeya." He waved, heading to the door, leaving before Ren.

Ren looked up at the sky, seeing the sky change colors noticing the sun was beginning to set. _Damn it..._ He groaned, noticing it was later than when he should've been home. _I'll..._ Ren paused himself from what he was going to do without thinking. _No... I should head straight home._ Even though the teen began to walk, aiming for the entrance of the school, he found himself in front of the nurses office. _What the...? How...?_

He was shocked once noticing the sign, quickly going to the side of the door, hoping he wasn't seen. The teen peeked to see if she was there, hoping she wasn't and thankfully she wasn't. He sighed with relief, turning around to leave school. But as he did, he bumped into the very person he wanted to not see after what happened.

"O-Oh! A-Amamiya-san... um... hello." Ren's eyes widened.

"I'll see you later, Suzui-san!" He bolted without giving a chance for them to speak again. _I am so sorry, Suzui-san..._ The student with glasses continued to bolt until he reached the train station, feeling as though he beat a track record. _Finally..._ He caught his breath, entering the train, heading home. _First week in Yongen Jaya and I still already feel out of place..._ Ren let out a sigh of early defeat, _Never knew_ _I'd_ _end up having to spend a year in the city. Hell, never_ _expected_ _to experience something as weird as that. Was_ _I_ _hallucinating? No..._ Ren wanted to deny what he dealt with at school, but he wasn't alone in that _palace_ so he assumed it most likely was real, which ended up making him begin to question about his dream from last night.

He walked in the neighborhood, trying to cool himself off after all the things he dealt with today. "I'm beat... I'll just go straight home and pass out once the lecture is over." Ren said to himself, knowing fully well he was screwed.

"Hey, I got a call from the school." Sojiro spoke right when he entered the cafe, giving a stern look.

 _Knew it..._ He stood tall, listening to his guardian, hoping he wouldn't get too deep into trouble.

"I hear you ditched half a day today." His guardian continued.

"I couldn't help it." He rubbed the back of his neck. _Can't tell him the cause of it was because I ended up in a castle... I bet he'll view it as insane and kick me out_. Ren tried to hold in a laugh and gave a serious face, continuing to listen to Sojiro.

"Yeah, yeah... That's what everyone says when they're caught." He exhaled slowly, trying to get over it, "Look, just behave yourself."

Ren was about to bring a good enough excuse, but the only one he could think of was Shiho. Just by the thought of it, he was glad that his eyes were shielded by his glasses most of the time. He tensed up by the memory and he felt his cheeks become warm, praying his face wasn't exposing any color of scarlet.

"One wrong step and your life is over. You do know what probation means, right?" Sojiro stated.

 _Probation. Probation. Probation._ That word rung in his mind over and over as if it was a huge bell hanging over his head. He hated that word. Once that word was stated, his whole feel of embarrassment got erased and turned towards anger as his flashback arrived.

"I do." He grind his teeth, putting effort into not exposing any anger, nor lashing out at his guardian.

"Good." His guardian responded, looking as though he was about to continue, until his phone rang. "Hey, what's up?" A smile appeared on his face, "...Yeah, I just closed up shop. I'll head over in half an hour, as promised." He looked over at Ren with an expression of annoyance, "What're you standing there for? Get upstairs and go to bed already." He returned to his phone, "...No, it's a guy, I just hired a part-timer."

 _Finally..._ Ren sighed deeply, wanting to no longer deal with anyone.

"Don't forget to lock the door and turn all the lights off, okay?" Sojiro whispered as he passed by him.

 _Seriously...?_ He rolled his eyes, _Whatever... He's letting me stay here. I shouldn't complain. I'll just obey and hopefully get this year over with soon._

"...Yup, I'm leaving now." He returned to the person on the other line, "I told you, he's a part-timer..."

Ren put his stuff down with a huff, wanting to already pass out, but when he heard the bell ring, notifying Sojiro just left, he headed downstairs to lock the door and turn the lights off. He dragged himself back upstairs and headed straight to bed.

 _I feel exhausted. Maybe it's because of all the weird stuff that's been happening to me... Anyway, I'll just fall asleep and hopefully forget everything once I wake._ When his eyes became heavy and fell into a deep slumber, he felt coldness rush over him. _What the...?_ He peeked up, seeing the ceiling was cement and no longer wood, _Damn it... not again..._ At that point, he finally accepted all the nonsense that just happened, officially resigning his sanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I had some ideas, so I wrote them down before I forgot. I hope this chapter was okay. Anyway, until then...


	9. Awkward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a meal with someone can be delightful. But other times... it can be painfully awkward.

"...About time you've come to." Caroline spoke first.

 _Ah... The tsundere one._ He sighed, not really wanting to get up nor take any part in this charade.

"On your feet, Inmate!" She hit the bars with her baton.

"Our master wishes to speak with you. It's for your own sake that you take his words to heart." Justine interrupted.

"First off, let us celebrate our reunion." Igor joined soon after. "Oh...? You've awakened to your powers-- and special ones at that." He grinned, "Your rehabilitation can finally begin."

"Rehabilitation?" Ren cocked his head to the side, curiously lost.

"There is no need to understand it all for the time being." Igor answered, "You will be training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to. Personas are, in other words, a _mask_ \-- an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters." His smile was still plastered on his face. "I have high expectations for you."

"What do you mean?" He wanted answers.

"You have no choice but to hone your strength." Justine responded first. "It's not because we're forcing you, but because this is your fate... Neglect it and you will die."

"By the by... have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator?" Igor questioned right after Justine, "Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces." 

"Palaces?" Ren was bewildered, trying to understand this whole situation.

"...I bestowed it to you as a means to train you as a thief." He replied.

"The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You better take care in using it, Inmate!" Caroline added.

"Devote yourself to your training so that you may become a fine thief." Justine spoke.

"It must be disheartening to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone." Igor assumed, "Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well." He beamed. "This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief..."

"Hmph, it's time. Go back and enjoy whatever rest you might have..." Caroline bid him farewell.

 _I feel I should've asked them to clarifies things, but I doubt any of their responses would be of any use..._ He sighed, accepting his unanswered questions, _I might as well get used to it now, I guess._ Ren's vision became black, light appearing through his window, signalling him it's morning.

The boy with glasses got dressed then sat back down on his bed, trying to think things through. _I had another strange dream..._ He sighed. _Fate... and awakening...? Could he be talking about my probation... and Arsène? No... lets just forget it._ He tried to erase it out of his mind and try to focus on the important things in his life. _More importantly... I need to hurry and get ready for school..._

Ren turned the sign to open for Sojiro before he began to head to school. The teen looked up at the sky, noticing it was raining. _What luck..._ He laughed, _Eh... I don't mind the rain._ He smiled weakly as he began to head out after opening his umbrella.

"What was the conductor thinking, charging into the station at the top speed like that?" A lighthearted student spoke up enough for Ren to hear.

"Didn't you hear? The guy totally lost it." A mellow student responded. "It's been happening a lot lately."

"All these accidents are because people are suddenly losing their minds, right?"

"Well, between the economy sucking and how depressing the news always is, it's not all that surprising."

Ren sighed heavily, _What great timing to live in the city._ He chuckled, noticing he was arriving soon.

"Look, isn't that her?" A student with a ponytail asked.

"You mean that one with the red ribbon?" A sleepy student questioned for clarification. "Uh, I guess so."

"She's so thin..." She sneered. "It's not fair, I've got my hair in a ponytail too..."

"Okay, and what's that got to do with being thin?"

 _Another person who gets talked about right behind their back._ He shook his head with disbelief after looking at the students that seem to attend the same school. 

Ren wanted to take a look on who it was they were talking about. He was wondering if she was in the same year as him, but he couldn't catch a glimpse and decided not to put effort into seeing. The conversation ended once everyone entered the next train and everything was blocked out by the sound of the engine.

The boy with glasses tried to move around to get a decent amount of room, a sigh released once he got enough room to breathe. Once he stopped and was able to catch his breath, he noticed a girl with scarlet hair tied up into a ponytail with a crimson colored bow.

 _Oh... is this who those students were talking about?_ He wondered.

"Please, take my seat." She stood up, looking at an elderly woman who stood in front of her. "My station's coming up."

"Are ya sure? Then..." The elderly woman smiled kindly, about to head towards the seat, but a man beside her took it before she could even take a step towards it.

"Oh wow, what speed!" The girl looked impressed, "I mean-- Excuse me, that seat was for this lady..." She spoke politely, trying to correct things. "Oh..." The man fell asleep.

 _Wow..._ Ren was surprised, yet felt he shouldn't be since this is a city, "Want me to _wake him up_?" He asked, presuming the man was acting.

"It's all right. I can understand his position as well." She replied.

He sighed, _I guess I can't disagree with that,_ He glanced over, seeing a small smile slide across the mans face, _But there are times where people act so they can get away with things..._ He hid a glare, _Almost like every other adults I've dealt with, but I have nothing to say about this guy since I don't have any business with him._ Ren looked away, awaiting for the train to reach it's stop.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be any help." The girl with scarlet hair looked over at the elderly woman.

"It's all right, dearie. Don't you worry." She gently beamed.

"Please allow me to carry your luggage, at least." The student said, beginning to grab hold of her bag.

"Thank you!" The elderly woman was surprised, but grinned, accepting her offer. "Ain't it heavy, though?" 

"Not at all! I train plenty." The young woman shook her head with a grin.

 _Hm... she's just as helpful as Ryuji._ A small smile slid across his face, _Though their supports are a bit different._ He glanced over every now and then, trying to process her appearance.

The young woman has red long hair tied into a ponytail, with a red ribbon tied into a bow, red eyes and pink lips. She wears a Shujin Academy winter uniform with black pantyhose and red loafers.

 _Hm... Quite kind indeed._ He chuckled faintly, her kindness suddenly reminded him of Shiho's. _Damn it..._ He sighed with disappointment hoping his face didn't turn crimson. As he hoped the train would stop soon, he heard a sudden giggle. _Hm...?_

He peeked over, seeing the girl with scarlet hair look at him with a smile. Her face turning a bit pink once seeing he noticed her. She turned away, trying to hide her blush. Discomfort filled the air, both teens wanting the train to stop real soon. Ren sighed with relief, automatically walking off the train. As he walked ahead, hoping to lose her, she called out to him

"Pardon me." She bowed, "Thank you so much for earlier."

"Earlier?" He questioned.

"For speaking up when I offered my seat on the train." She looked up at him with a soft grin. "You're a second-year at Shujin Academy, correct? I'm a first-year there myself."

 _Oh, a first-year?_ He was a bit surprised.

"Thank you totally slipped my mind back on the train, and I didn't want to be rude to my senpai." She bowed once more, "Please, excuse me!"

Ren was a bit dumbfounded, taken aback by kindness, _I bet she just doesn't know about the rumors._ He chuckled faintly, ignoring that moment and heading towards school.

He was glad he made it to school this time, with no detours, _I seem to have made it to school safely... What was that castle, though?_ He questioned, his curiosity beginning to grow.

 _Okay... today's first class is... social studies._ Ren smiled a bit since he was good at it, all thanks for viewing it as if it's story telling. _Heh... I bet this would make people think I'm kiddish for viewing this subject this way._ He rubbed the back of his neck walking in and sitting down in his seat.

"A certain dictionary defines a year as _a period of 365 disappointments_." His teacher began, "The book's title is about as cynically satirical as the rest of it. It's _The Devil's Dictionary_ , by Ambrose Bierce." He looked around the class, his eyes landing on Ren who happened to have been dozing off. "Hey, new kid." His teacher smirked, assuming he will be his first target to embarrass. 

_Damn it!_ Ren heard his teacher, a bit of worry arriving after realizing he wasn't paying full attention to this afternoon's class.

"Tell me what the _Devil's Dictionary_ defined as the chief factor in the progress of the human race."

 _Oh... that's it?_ Ren chuckled with relief, "Villians." He spoke with a smile and a bit of confidence.

"Correct. _Malefactors_ , to be specific." His teacher grinned with the look of impressiveness. "You actually knew that, huh?" His grin turned into a smirk, looking as though he's expecting him to trip at one point or another, but slight hope was beside his feel of doubt.

Ren breathed out a laugh when looking back at him, _Well, I did learn a bit of this at my previous school._

"Sure, villains can affect the course of history. But remember that this definition is a sardonic witticism, nothing more." He looked back at his students, "Here in the real world, villains don't push humanity forward. All they do is spread chaos and strife."

"Wow, he got it right... Is he really a criminal?" One student whispered.

"He seems like a punk, but maybe he's actually serious about studying?" Another spoke.

"I know you've all heard the reports of these agitators stirring up trouble." Sensei spoke up, "We don't have any room for criminals here. Not in school, and not in society. Am I clear?" He looked at everyone before looking back at Ren. The student with glasses bowed his head a little as if agreeing to his statement.

_**Afternoon...** _

_Ugh... finally... break time._ He stretched, then placed his hand on his stomach, feeling it vibrate as it growled, _Ah... yeah... forgot breakfast this morning._ He groaned, _And forgot to make lunch... Well, I guess I'll buy a piece of bread and head to the roof to avoid these continuous rumors. Best to lay low._ Ren reached in his bag and grabbed his bottle of water before leaving class. _Okay... it's right around this corner, right?_ He turned and a smile appeared once seeing it.

The teen pulled out his wallet and requested a piece of bread. He heard the usual rumors roam around his school, along with the rumor of his classmate Ann. The young man tried to ignore the words that escaped the students lips and headed up to the rooftops once he bought his bread.

 _Finally..._ He sighed deeply, opening the door to the roof. _Hm...?_ He looked up and noticed the one person he was not prepared to see. _Crap..._ He closed his eyes, hanging his head, debating on sneaking away or approach her. Before he could answer, he was called over by her.

"O-Oh... A-Amamiya-san." Shiho exposed an awkward grin, "H-How are you doing today?" She wanted to face palm herself, wanting to leave instantly, but felt stuck since she's the one who started the conversation.

"Um... A-All is well." He responded with a beam, trying to stay composed.

"That's great to hear." She copied his smile, looking down at her food, "Care to sit with me? I remember food tastes better with company." Shiho looked at him gently, patting beside her.

"O-Of course." His smile turned small once realizing her smile became his weakness, "Thank you." 

He sat beside her, setting his bottle down in front of him and opened up the wrapper, about to take a bite, until his stomach interrupted him from hiding his embarrassment. They both were surprised by the suddenly loud growl that came from his stomach. His face turning completely red. He buried his face in his hands, automatically apologizing.

"This is so embarrassing... I am truly sorry!" He wrapped his arms around his stomach, "I didn't eat breakfast this morning so--"

Before he could finish sentence he heard a stifled laugh. He looked over, his face still crimson. His heart was struck again once seeing her pearly white teeth and her cheeks lightly turning pink, finally showing color in her skin. Ren breathed out a laugh, his grin becoming genuine.

"No need to apologize." Her laugh beginning to lessen, "I should be the one apologizing." Shiho gave a simple grin, "I'm sorry for laughing." She looked at him gently, "I definitely understand. There were days where I forgot to eat as well."

"Don't hold yourself back from laughing." He gave a childish grin, "Your smile is cute. One that can easily pass onto others." Ren exposed a very beaming grin, finally feeling comfortable at this school. Every feel of discomfort effortlessly evaporating. "So, please, don't apologize." His smile became small, finally going in for a bite of his bread.

Shiho's heart beat roughly against her chest as her face became hot by his look of happiness and his kind words. She looked at her lunch before taking a bite. The two teens sat peacefully next to each other. The young woman peeked over at the young man and thought to herself on if she should or shouldn't. Before even processing the thought, she picked a rice ball from her lunch box and held it in front of him.

"Hm?" One of Ren's eyebrow rose out of bewilderment.

"Here. You can't just eat bread." She handed it over, "Who knows, your stomach may even growl during class." She stuck her tongue out teasingly, not giving him the chance to decline the offer as she placed it onto his hand this time.

"T-Thanks." His heart skipped a beat once their hands touched. "You know you really didn't--"

"I know I didn't." She peeked over, taking a bite of her other rice ball. "Just like you didn't have to save me from Kamoshida."

 _Heh... this girl..._ He smiled softly, feeling ecstatic. "Really. Thank you, Suzui-san." He said before finally eating.

"Call me Shiho." The young woman looked over at him, "Mind if I call you Ren?" She cocked her head to the side, awaiting for an obvious yes.

"Not at all." A chuckle left his lips, "Shiho."

"Ren." She responded.

The two adolescents continued to eat, both of them officially becoming comfortable with each other. Ren was the first one done, finishing off his meal by washing it down with his water. He wiped his lips with his sleeve, setting his drink down.

"Quite a peaceful afternoon." Ren looked over at Shiho.

Shiho responded with a hum, looking over at him with soft smile.

Ren ended up reaching out to her, his thumb brushing the side of her lip unconsciously. Shiho was startled as she felt his thumb graze on her face, suddenly remembering yesterday's event.

"S-Sorry..." He gave a weak grin, "A grain of rice was on you." His face became warm instantly after realizing he just ate the grain of rice that rested on the side of her lip. _An... indirect kiss...?_ He questioned his confusion, feeling like an idiot for thinking it that way.

"N-No... w-worries." Awkwardness began to fill the air once more.

Once this whole thing processed in his mind, he suddenly remembered yesterdays event as well. 

_Damn it! Don't remember. Pretend nothing happened._ Ren continuously thought to himself, trying to forcefully smile while trying to keep himself poised

 _Does he remember yesterday...?_ She questioned, having difficulty on looking away. 

He tried to look away, too, but he had difficulty doing so. He forced a comfortable looking grin before tearing their gaze by looking away as if nothing happened just now.

 _Oh... I guess... I guess he doesn't remember._ She gave a weak grin, trying to look relieved.

Shiho ended up tracing her thumb around her lips as though remembering the feel of his lips. Once she noticed she touched her lips by accident, she removed her hand away instantly hoping he didn't see anything. But sadly enough, he noticed. He saw it as clear as day to where his heart raced leading him to bite his tongue and looking in the opposite direction, putting effort into hiding his crimson colored cheeks.

 _This isn't good..._ The teens both closed their eyes, no longer having the ability to look at each other at this point...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, um... I hope this chapter was okay. Now I am going to try and have these two be involved with each other more. BUT this will seriously be a ride for the both of us. So please bear with me. ahaha... So my apologies ahead of time and sorry if it sucks. Anyway, until then...


	10. Hopeless

Ren cleared his throat, putting effort into calming down his racing heart. He rubbed the back of his neck, hoping his face wasn't exposing any sort of scarlet. Though sadly enough, with his luck, it was covering his whole face completely. He leaned forward, trying to ignore the fact that they were sitting only a foot away. The silence between them made them pray their throbbing heart could not be heard.

The teen with glasses combed his hair back, trying to clear his mind before building up his courage to look over, not expecting Shiho to do the same. Their faces were only an inch apart. Their faces heating up quickly by the cause of the unexpected closeness. Ren's eyes widened, hidden behind his lens' while Shiho held her breath. The two were so distracted by the other's eyes, feeling as though they were paralyzed by the others gaze.

Ren adjusted his head, his eyes finally revealing, no longer shielded by his glasses. He looked like he was in a daze, his heart still pounding roughly against his rib cage.

The young man once again was enchanted by Shiho's beauty. Her skin finally showing color. Her cheeks showing a bit of redness. Her eyes showing gentleness behind her hidden sorrow. Something he wanted to take away from her so she would no longer look like she was in severe pain.

Without even noticing, he looked down at her lips, instantly remembering the softness. A soft smile slid across his face. The teen felt he should feel bad for what happened, but something inside him kept him away from feeling guilty. Ren didn't understand the reason, but he rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the cement, releasing a small chuckle.

"You first..." He looked back up at her with a kind smile, nodding as a gesture.

Shiho admired his appearance. His fair skin, slightly covered by blush. His thin lips covering his pearly white teeth she has only seen once or twice. His eyes exposing kindness that is often shielded by his glasses. Everything she never really had time to examine before. She was a little saddened when she finally realized their time spent together were often short. But her heart warmed up quickly once noticing this was the longest they've spent together. Shiho looked aside, a small snicker escaping before building up the courage to look back at him, her heart overflowing unwillingly.

"I... I'd like to thank you for yesterday." She smiled gently, her cheeks becoming rosy. "And... to get this off my... well, most likely _our_ chest... You don't need to worry anymore. Nor feel guilty. Nor need to apologize." Shiho rested her hand on her shoulder, her eyes looking away as her voice began to trail off, "You were just helping me after all. It didn't really..." She cackled uncomfortably, her heart suddenly sinking. "Thank you." The young woman unconsciously placed her hand on his cheek gently, exposing her rare caring smile she only shows to Ann.

"I'm... I'm glad I could be of help to you." He chuckled a bit, hiding his look of slight depression, his heart sinking by those words. "And I'm happy you're feeling better." He smiled gently, resting his hand on hers. "Also, I would still like to apologize for yesterday." He laughed a bit, looking at her with his famously childish grin. "I... I didn't really expect to give you medicine that way..." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away, "Please don't think of it as a kiss."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened, "Did you give me medicine mouth to mouth!?" She jolted, looking shocked.

"Wh-What?! I-I-I didn't... I mean... I... Well..." Ren was shaking, his heart racing a mile a second, his face turning as red as a tomato, "I-I thought that's what--"

"I'm just kidding, Ren." She giggled. "I know." She smiled gently, hoping it had broken the ice she noticed from the very start.

Ren sighed with relief, his heart calming down. _You sly woman..._ He breathed out a chuckle.

"So, really, it's okay... If anything, I'd like to thank you again." She caressed his cheek gently, closing her eyes with a genuine grin, "I will admit, it did surprise me and I'm not fully sure on how to actually feel about it, but... let's just put it aside and move on."

"Okay." He smiled weakly. "Oh, but... I'd like to ask." He breathed out a laugh, failing at ridding his feel of discomfort, "If you... If you were awake enough to notice... notice _that_ moment. Why didn't you push me away?" He gripped her hand weakly, emotions suddenly flaring by the memory.

"O-Oh, um... I... I didn't notice until the very end!" She squeaked, removing her hand quickly, her face becoming hot. "Yeah... I awoke when you were moving away!" She fibbed.

That ended up stinging both of them, leading them to wonder on why they were feeling such a tight twinge in their chest. But per usual they put it to rest and tried to forget about the whole thing. they looked away from each other, hoping it would get rid of the feel of pain, but sadly, it didn't change.

"Okay..." The young man smiled effortlessly, trying to forget along with her.

There was nothing, but silence after that. The teens suffered by the feel of depression. They knew that it shouldn't really have meant anything so they both wondered why they felt slightly hurt. As they were lost in thought, putting as much effort to forget about yesterday, they were brought back to reality once the bell rung.

"Well, it was great having lunch with you, Shiho." Ren stood up first, holding out his hand to help her up. "Thank you for sharing a part of your lunch, and I hope we can have lunch again together, possibly tomorrow?"

"Of course." She smiled up at him, reaching out to him.

Their hearts skipped a beat, racing once more. But it calmed down instantly when Ren was the first to pull away. Ren put his hands in his pockets, hoping to not get into skin to skin contact with her again anytime soon.

"We should get to class. Wouldn't want to be late." He chuckled faintly, walking ahead to open the door for her.

They both headed downstairs with nothing, but complete silence. One thought they should've broken the ice, but with their unbalanced emotions and the feeling of uneasiness, they didn't know what to say.

Shiho turned left, Ren needing to head in the same direction, but felt he should take the long way to class to rid the insufferable affliction. Though there was one thing that made him feel he should walk with her. _Kamoshida_... But he noticed Ann was about a few feet ahead of Shiho so he felt it was best for him to take the long way.

"I'll see you later." Ren waved as he headed the opposite direction.

"Hm...? Oh... okay." Shiho watched him walk away in the distance, her feel of sadness increasing as they parted ways. "Yeah. I'll see you later." She mumbled, waving him off.

The young woman watched him walk off until he was no longer in sight. A deep sigh escaped, feeling as though something didn't feel right. But as always, she brushed it off, heading back to class.

**_After School..._ **

"Ugh... finally..." Ren stretched, loosening up the tension that grew each time he was asked to answer questions.

The rumors began to wound him again and with the discomfort that he felt slowly growing, just encouraged the pain more that it feel as if it was salt added to the wound. The young man sighed deeply, folding his arms, slouching in his chair trying to think of what to do. He debated on going to the library to study or to just head straight back home.

As the choices brewed in his mind, the thought of Shiho was added to the pot. He groaned when the memory of earlier replayed in his mind. The adolescent felt he should just erase the discomfort he felt earlier, but he struggled. There was one thing that replaced that feel though and that being her smile. He sighed deeply again, feeling so many emotions swarm inside him to where it made him bolt up with a growl of irritation and rush out of his class, choosing to head home.

 _Why is life here being so complicated already?_ He thought, not noticing he was practically bumping into classmates, _I know I should have expected this, seeing as to how_ _I_ _was sent here by the cause of..._ The teen didn't want to finish that sentence. _Whatever_... He sighed deeply, leaving his classroom, finally noticing he ended up bumping into someone once exiting his class, "Oh, I'm so sorry--?!"

"R-Ren!" Shiho stiffened, "I-I thought you might have left earlier!" She squeaked.

"No... I had a few things to finish up." He breathed out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck, already feeling tension in the air. "If you're waiting for Ann, I'm sorry to say, she already left."

"Oh, okay... th--"

"Suzui-chan!" A teacher called out.

"I'm sorry for cutting this so short. I'll see you again later!" She smiled with the look of fear unsuccessfully hidden behind it, swiftly running down the stairs, pretending she didn't hear her name be called out by that man.

Ren looked over at the man, sensing the feeling of dread heading his way. The young man growled with frustration once seeing who it was that called out her name and approached them. He wanted to go after her again, but he felt if he did, things wouldn't go so well for either of them, so he ended up staying back _again_ , with regret continuing to drag on once again.

When the tall looking teacher that called out her name was near, he looked at the direction she left then glanced over at Ren, a glare hidden behind his stare.

"Ah, of course... the infamous transfer student." The teacher looked at him, "You best keep your head down if you want to stay in this school." He laughed, "Kidding. Now be a good kid and head home so you can study." He said in a positive tone Ren could sense was completely fake.

All Ren did was nod so he didn't start any commotion, heading in the same direction as Shiho. The teen hoped that she was somewhere near while he was heading to the front gate, but he didn't see any sight of her. He resigned again with the feel of defeat. As he was leaving school, passing the front gate, he saw a figure ahead of him in an alleyway, leaning against the wall.

"Huh...?" He peeked over, slowly getting closer to the figure. "Shiho...?"

She looked up at him, a look of fear hovering over her as tears were rushing down her cheeks like a waterfall.

"R-Ren..." She wiped away her tears as fast as she could, "M-My deep apologies, this is so unlike me." Shiho forced out a laugh, trying to stay composed, but her emotions kept making the tears pour out like a broken dam.

"What's wrong?!" He was about to rush over to her.

"Don't!" She stopped him only a few feet away, "I'm... alright." She heaved, "I just... I have to go!" She bolted

"Damn it! Not again..." He breathed out with a growl.

Without any hesitation, he ran after her, wanting to help her. Praying he could help her. Wanting to do all he can to help her.

"Shiho! Wait!" He called out, still running after her. Right when he thought he was close, she entered the train, doors closing instantly after, Ren losing her once again. "Damn it..."

He growled, looking down, closing his eyes tightly, turning his hands into the shape of a ball. He breathed in and out slowly, trying not to let his emotions get to him.

 _Calm and composed... breathe... I just... I just need to stay calm. This is unlike me. I'll see her tomorrow. I swear it._ He opened his eyes, catching his breath, thinking of what he should do once he gets back to school. _All I can do now is head home..._

He looked up above himself, seeing the times he can head home. Ren saw he had about a half hour to wait, so he decided to take a walk around the station to kill some time. As he began to roam around near the train he saw a little smoothie stand. He decided to head over to it, but as he did, he heard a ding come from his phone, making him tense up, assuming it was Sojiro calling him, but it wasn't which made him relieved. But when he opened his phone he noticed it was a notification coming from that weird app he doesn't even remember downloading.

 _What the...? Again? I don't want to keep this! Delete!_ He threw it out, ignoring its existence.

The teen noticed it was about time for him to head to his stop and once he waited for the door to open, he was about to head in until he heard the name _Shiho_ enter his ears.

"Hm?" He looked over, noticing it was his classmate, Ann.

"Shiho... just breathe, everything will be just fine. Remember? Just a bit more training and everything will go smoothly." The girl said, looking a bit worried as she spoke. "That's the spirit." She forced a smile.

Ren looked over at the girl then back at the train doors opening. He looked back and forth trying to decide his next move, but before he could even make a decision, his body decided for him, leading him to walk over to the girl that was finally off of her phone. Once she hung up, he noticed that she was holding in tears. He was taken aback which made him head over to her a little faster.

"Is everything alright?" He asked the blonde-headed girl.

"Huh? Oh... everything's fine. It's none of your concern anyway." She let out a weak laugh.

"You're friends with Suzui-san, aren't you?" He questioned for clarification, "Is she okay?"

"This isn't any of your business." She said, walking away.

He was miffed which pushed him to go after her. As he followed her, he felt a tear drop on his face when the girl looked back at him, telling him to leave her alone. He stopped in his tracks, wiping away the tear that fell on his face. He was surprised which led him to go after her even more. She finally stopped right after she turned a corner, no longer able to move any further.

"Are you always this persistent?" She growled, looking up at him.

"Only when it comes to people in need of help." He laughed faintly.

"I don't need any help..." She mumbled.

"It seems like your friend does though." The words slipped out all on their own.

"How much have you listened in on?" She glared.

He gulped, feeling like an idiot. Ren didn't know what to say, words just kept slipping out, "Would you like to talk about it?" He questioned, to dodge hers. _What the hell is wrong with me today?_

She was hesitant to say anything, but finally spit something out once he gave a look of gentleness. Her heart suddenly thumped, leading her to give in and tell him what's going on, "Fine... let's go somewhere we can sit..." She huffed, leading the way.

They entered a fast food place called Big Bang Burger, and sat at the farthest table. They asked for just water since all they were going to do was talk, "Before I say anything, how do you know my friend Shiho?" She asked, her eyes squinting with suspicion, "She never really talks to anyone, but me and her teammates."

"Oh... we... just happen to bump into each other is all." He stated, feeling a bit awkward, not wanting to go into detail on the days they've encountered several times.

"How?" She asked.

"During passing periods it appears." He replied.

"Well... seeing as how you barely know anything about her, I guess I can let a few things off my chest..." She sighed, "My friend had a bit of an _eventful_ day today. First bumping into this guy she seemed deeply concerned about and then being harassed during practice..." She looked down.

When she said, _bumping into this guy_ , he instantly assumed it was him which made him tense up a bit, but then was taken aback on hearing her say, _deeply concerned about_ , leading Ren to wonder if it was positive or negative. But the thing that washed all that discomfort away was the word _harrassed_. Right after hearing that, he knew that instant on who it most likely was she was talking about.

"I want to help her, but I can only do so much..." She faltered.

"Why is there limitations of supporting her? What's wrong?" He asked, his worries beginning to grow.

"...She's on the volleyball team and things are getting rough during each practice..." She kept it short and simple.

Ren fell silent, knowing there's more to the story with what he's witnessed lately, but he didn't know if he had the right to pry it open from one of her friends since he barely knows them. He was lost for words, trying to think of what to ask or what to say.

"It's because of that stupid coach that's making it hell for her!" She growled out of frustration, "I can't stand seeing her in such conditions! I can't stand how he treats everyone! I can't..." The girl closed her eyes tightly, her head facing down.

Right when Ren was about to say something, the girl's phone went off. The girl jolted and groaned with irritation once seeing who was calling her.

"I'm sorry... I... I have to take this." She said, wiping away the tears before standing and walking away.

The teen with glasses wanted to stop her, but he felt he had no right to. Ren gripped his knees, feeling utterly helpless. He couldn't stand not having the ability to do anything for them. The adolescent wanted to do all he could, but everything was like a shot in the dark. The teen had no clue on what exactly was going on let alone have any proof.

 _I have to do something... but what?_ He sighed deeply, groaning with annoyance. _I'll_ _just try and figure out later when_ _I_ _can think straight..._ He rubbed the back of his head, hoping to clear his mind as he stood up and headed back to the train station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, let's see how serious things may head in Ren's path. Until then...


	11. Café Lablanc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing safer than home.

Ren sighed countless times when he was heading home. He felt completely hopeless. The adolescent was thinking on how he should approach her tomorrow. How he could help both of them. How he could do anything without even being assumed of doing something wrong at school.

 _Ugh... these days just keep getting better and better._ He sighed deeply, mindlessly walking home. _Hm?_ Once he reached home he saw a familiar figure walk into the café. _Is that...?_

The teen increased his pace, wanting to eagerly know if that was who he assumed it was. Once he entered, his expression turned into a look of surprise.

"Shiho...?" He questioned instantly.

"Hm...?" She looked over.

When she noticed who it finally was, she spit out her tea, making it land all over Sojiro...

"Oh my God! I am so sorry, sir! I-I didn't mean for--"

Sojiro held up his hand in front of her while wiping the tea off of his face with his other hand. A small chuckle escaped as he cleaned the tea off of his face.

"Thank goodness you didn't choose coffee. So don't worry about it." He shook his head with a look of amusement, obviously hiding his look of annoyance for the sake of the customer, "I don't live far, so if you'll excuse me."

Sojiro sighed deeply as he headed towards the door, "Keep an eye on the shop for me while I go change. Okay?"

Ren nodded, both nervous and happy to see Shiho. When Sojiro left the building, it just ended up being Ren and Shiho. Their hearts both raced again. Both deafening them.

"W-Well... I'm... I'm lucky to have bumped into you again." Ren broke the silence first as he walked to sit beside her, "Sort of makes me feel as though this is fate." He smiled then instantly sighed deeply, feeling like an idiot, automatically leading himself into actually facepalming himself right in front of her. Literally. "Ow..." He groaned, embarrassment adding into the pot.

"Goodness, are you okay?" Shiho gave a look of concern, but failed at hiding her smile as a laugh escaped along with it.

"Yeah... I'm fine." He groaned, this time face planting on the bar. "Gah! What is wrong with me today?!" He took his glasses off and covered his face after realizing too late he still had them on.

"Thank goodness they didn't get damaged..." He sighed with both relief and annoyance.

At that point, Shiho couldn't hold back her laughter. Her teeth shining in front of him once again, showing off her rare angelic face. She sighed, lessening on her laughter.

"I'm so sorry for laughing." She covered her mouth, "I-I just couldn't help it!" It trailed on a bit more.

Ren followed along with her look of amusement. He felt his heart skip a beat again. He still didn't understand, but it mattered little to none to him right now. The thing that mattered the most to him at this moment, was her.

"Like I've said many times and will say again, don't hold back your laughter." He mimicked her smile, "It's beautiful every time it shows." He said without thinking.

Shihos face turned red right after she heard that. Ren looked at her, curious on why she's giving him such an expression. Then it finally dawned on him on what he stated which led him to turning just as red, making him look away again.

"Um... I'd like to say _forget what_ _I_ _just said_ , but I'm telling you the truth. Please keep showing that beautiful smile." He rubbed the back his head, still looking away, "Sort of the only thing that keeps me going back to school to be honest..." He mumbled, a sigh soon dragging behind.

Ren finally calmed his racing heart, building up his courage again to look back at Shiho. When he looked back at her he was clueless on why her face was utterly red. He cocked his head to the side, as dense as ever.

"Are you okay, Shiho?" He asked, still not linking A to B.

"Y-Yeah... I'm--I'm totally fine!" She spit out, "Definitely fine! Nothing wrong at all!" She laughed awkwardly, not succeeding on keeping her cool, but lucky for her, it still didn't get through to him.

"I'm relieved to hear that." He exposed his childish grin, unconsciously placing his hand on her head, ruffling it a little, being playful.

Shiho's cheeks became flushed and her heart was beating fast, feeling overwhelming filled with warmth and safeness by Ren's grin and soft hand resting on her head. A sigh of happiness escaped her lips, her eyes closing slowly as she felt she finally caught her breath again. A sudden scent of cinnamon waft in front of her, when her sense of smell increased, assuming it was coming from Ren. She opened her eyes, giving a calming beam which led Ren to copy her expression.

The whole room fell silent. This time it didn't feel awkward. It didn't feel uncomfortable. It didn't feel anything like it did at school. They didn't understand it at all, but with the coziness, the sweet scent, and the peacefulness coming from both of them. It felt like a complete safe haven. But sadly enough...

"Sorry for the wait." Sojiro said, walking in, "Hm?" He looked up, only seeing Shiho at the bar, "Where did that kid go?" The elder man sighed deeply, "Unbelievable..." He breathed out a laugh, filled with disbelief.

"I'm sorry about the wait, Miss." He placed a crooked smile on his face, apologizing in Ren's behalf.

"O-Oh, don't worry about it, sir." She forced a grin, trying all her might not to blush and put ease on her racing heart. "I should be going." She stood, paying for her cup, "I don't want to be anymore of a bother than I already have been. I'd also like to deeply apologize about earlier. I didn't mean to... to..."

"It's okay." He laughed.

Ren's heart was beating fast to where it felt like he ran a whole mile with lightning speed with no break. His whole face was red. The teen couldn't believe how things felt back there. He was saddened that he stupidly ran upstairs right when he heard Sojiro's voice. The adolescent sighed deeply, trying to balance out his emotions again and thankfully it didn't take long. Well, it didn't last long either...

"Hey, kid! Get down here and escort this little lady back to the train, safely!" He smirked when looking towards the stairs. A chuckle escaped once hearing rattling and crashing noises, automatically knowing what the cause of it was from.

"He'll be down shortly, Miss." He grinned politely.

"Oh! No! I-It's not necessary!" Shiho stated quickly, wanting to end this painful feeling of awkwardness, but before she could even go further into the debate, he reappeared.

"Sh-Shall we go?" He mumbled, feeling as though his heart was about to explode any minute now.

"Stay safe you two." Sojiro breathed out a laugh, watching the teens walk out. "Be nice and don't do anything stupid! Got it, Ren?"

All the teen could do was nod as they both left the café, feeling nothing, but awkward silence once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I wonder if their walk is gonna be even more painful or if it's going to close the gap between them more. Even if just a little. Anyway, until then...


	12. Let Me Be of Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Small description of sexual discomfort.

Ren opened the door for Shiho, both giving each other a small smile as they both headed out the door.

"Best not do anything stupid..." Sojiro sighed deeply, letting out a light laugh as he shook his head.

The two adolescents walked out silently, side by side. Ren placed his hands in his pockets, hoping the closeness won't lead to their hands brushing against each other. Even if just little skin to skin contact, he knows his heart would most likely burst, just by the softness of her hand. Shiho placed her hands behind her back, trying to avoid the same thing. They once again fell into slight depression because of the slight distant they both could feel. The two still kept going in circles, wondering to themselves on why things were going like this since they _just_ started to become friends. They barely know each other. They barely speak to one another. They barely spend time together. Yet they both wondered to themselves on why they already seemed so close, but also felt so distant.

A sigh escaped Shiho, her mind beginning to wander. Ren peeked over, contemplating on questioning her, but was a bit concerned on prying into her life. Shiho glanced over, feeling Ren's gaze towards her which led her to reveal a small grin slide across her face, along with a light laugh.

"I'm assuming you're curious about earlier...?" She gave a crooked grin, looking over at him with a bitter look, not really wanting to recollect the event from earlier.

"You don't have to if you don't want to..." Ren looked over at her with concern, giving an expression of understanding.

"Heh... thank you..." She stopped in her tracks.

Shiho looked down, slowly closing her eyes. The young woman gripped her hands tightly, building up the courage to speak up. She breathed in and out slowly, putting effort into calming her throbbing heart.

"Shiho..." Ren ended up placing one hand on her cheek by reflex, meaning to comfort her.

She jolted a little, her eyes fluttering open. The adolescent bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him. Shiho felt her chest tightening which led her to shutting her eyes tightly. Right after Ren saw that expression, he withdrew his hand, but it was placed back on her cheek as she gripped his hand tightly. Ren's heart sank once seeing the look of sorrow reappear on her face, looking as though she was about to burst into tears. By impulse, he placed his other hand on her other cheek and rested his forehead on hers, hoping she would feel his warmth, showing he's always here for her.

Shiho's lips trembled, some tears sliding down her cheeks as she began to shake. "Thank you..." She gripped both of his hands.

Ren didn't know what to say. All he did was stand there in silence. Without any thought, he tugged her into his arms, hiding her teary face into his chest, hoping she'd feel safe in his hold. The young man stroke her hair, hoping to calm down her nerves. At that moment she felt completely safe. The young woman didn't understand why she felt such comfort from a person she just barely met, but she didn't mind it. She felt she could actually trust him. Even if just a little.

Shiho sighed deeply, burying her face in his chest, building up the courage to speak up. "...Earlier..." She gripped onto his shirt as she inhaled and exhaled slowly, "At practice... I was told to stay behind."

_**Earlier After School...** _

"Suzui-chan!" The coach called out. "Got a minute?"

"Hm?" Shiho mumbled, her heart beginning to throb, "Wh-What is it, Coach...?" She began to tremble.

"I noticed you've been making some mistakes during practice lately." He began to point out. "Any idea of the cause of it?" Her coach went down to her level, not understanding _personal space_. "Could the cause happen to be your _boyfriend_?"

"Huh?" She jolted once he was getting closer, her brows furrowing.

"The delinquent." He responded.

"What? No! Of course not!" Shiho stated instantly, "He has nothing to do with my sudden incompetence!"

"Oh?" Her coach smirked, "Then do I have to give you even more _lessons_?"

"N-No... You don't have to worry, Coach! I'll do better next time!" She spit out, about to run, but was grabbed by the arm before she could even take a step away.

"Now, now, Suzui-chan." Kamoshida chuckled, gripping her arm, "No need to rush. I can give you a quick lesson."

 _Please no..._ She closed her eyes tightly.

"Come on. No need to be coy. This will just be quick." He tugged her towards him.

The coach dragged her to the gym, gripping her arm tightly, giving warning she has no way to escape and even if she did, he would do what he normally does when he loses his cool.

 _I can't escape..._ She whined quietly, closing her eyes even tighter, begging this usual nightmare to end soon.

"Now, get in position." He smirked, practically throwing her to the center.

She tried to stay calm and get into position without letting her legs lock up like last time. Shiho didn't want to end up in the same situation as last time. The volleyball player tried and tried to stay strong, but with the fear and stress that kept building up, her legs ended up becoming weak, leading her to fall to her knees. Before her knees reached the floor, she was grabbed by Kamoshida from behind.

"I guess I'll have to be of assistants again today too, Suzui-chan." He chuckled in her ear, giving a sly grin she could automatically sense.

Her coach placed his hands on her hips, making her rest up against him. His face right beside hers, his lips close to her ear to where she could hear his breath of excitement. She shivered when she felt his hands slide up her figure, passing towards her chest which led her to groan, quivering in fear. Her eyes opened wide, soon squinting as some tears began to slip through her eye lids like cracks in a dam. She could feel something from behind her, wanting to push away from that uncomfortable feeling and escape, but she was frozen stiff. Shiho was in complete shock to where she couldn't move. The young woman didn't have the strength nor the ability to even struggle.

"Are you ready, Suzui-chan?" Kamoshida breathed a cackle against her ear.

The teen couldn't say a word. Her lips were slightly open, but no words could escape. She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell. She wanted to say something. But as the discomfort she continued to feel, she felt as though she was already dead. Luckily for her though...

"Mr. Kamoshida?" Somebody called out to him, entering the gym.

The coach released her and acted as if nothing was going on. He just placed his _friendly_ smile like usual and spoke like everything was going fine.

"You can go home, Suzui-chan." He looked at her with a devilish look, "We'll continue this tomorrow, okay?"

Shiho couldn't say anything. She didn't want to say anything nor look at him any longer. The teen ran out as fast as she could.

 _Ann... Please still be here!_ She ran without even stopping for breath, hoping she could forget what happened not long ago.

_**Present Time...** _

Ren's eyes opened widely, filled with disbelief. Blood rushed through him, a feel of anger beginning to boil deep inside him. His heart beat quickened. He gripped onto Shiho even tighter.

 _That damn bastard..._ He rested his head on hers, hugging her tightly, _I'm going to end this. Some way, somehow, I will find a way for this to end._

"I'm... I'm sorry for springing this on you..." She whined against his chest, gripping onto his shirt. "I just..."

"Don't you ever apologize for this." He hugged her tighter, "I'm glad you did."

Shiho breathed out a laugh, her eyebrows furrowing into a look of sadness as her eyes released all of the tears she held back from earlier.

"Let me help you." He whispered gently which somehow calmed Shiho down even just a little.

"Heh... how could you possibly do that?" She looked up at him, some tears sliding down her cheeks as a crooked smile appeared on her face.

Ren wiped away her tears as he thought for a moment, hoping to keep that filthy man away from her. Then he just remembered. "Let me be your fake boyfriend." He spit out without even thinking of saying it in a bit of a better way.

"Huh...?" She looked at him, shocked.

"S-Sorry. Let me say that a little better..." He cackled, rubbing the back of his head, his face becoming a little flushed. "Let me be with you during practice. Right when you're done, I'll walk you straight back home. I'll help you avoid him from doing such a thing again." He held onto her arms as he looked at her calmly, but also with determination. "Okay?" Ren gave her a crooked grin, showing he's committed to helping her pull through this whole situation.

The young woman was hesitant for a moment which Ren could automatically sense.

"Do you trust me?" Ren looked at her sincerely.

Shiho was surprised to hear him ask that, but when he did, she had a gut feeling to nod her head slowly. When she did, a genuine grin slid across his face.

"Thank you." He looked at her kindly. 

He ruffled her hair gently again like in the café. When he did, her heart skipped a beat again. She still didn't understand the meaning of it, but she brushed it off like usual and focused on what's going on now.

"We'll start this at school tomorrow?" He placed his hand gently on her cheek unconsciously.

"Y-Yeah..." She answered quietly, putting effort into hiding her blush.

"Okay." He grinned, "Well, let's go to the train station. I wouldn't want your parents to worry. And most definitely don't want you to walk home alone in the dark."

 _I most certainly don't want her to end up in the same position as that other woman at my hometown..._ He looked away, exposing an expression of deep concern after remembering the past.

"Ren?" Shiho looked at him, trying to get his attention, "Is something the matter on your end?"

"Hm? Oh... n-nothing to worry about." He smiled faintly, "Nothing to worry about at all..." Ren looked away with a sigh, "Let's take you home." 

Without any thought given, his hand reached out towards hers and he began to walk ahead, leading the way. Shiho flinched a little from the sudden grab, but she didn't mind it. She felt his warmth which made her feel safe every time. By impulse, she squeezed his hand tightly as if telling him thank you. Ren jolted by the sudden squeeze, finally realizing what he was doing, but he didn't express it. He just let out a little cackle as he continued to lead the way.

"Stay safe, have your phone out and stay in the light if night falls before you reach home, okay?" He looked at her with seriousness as if expressing himself like a worried parent.

"Okay, _dad_." Shiho giggled, finally feeling at ease, the event from earlier erasing from her mind.

"I'm serious." He chuckled, ruffling her hair again like a younger sibling, "Stay safe, okay?"

"Okay." She looked down, hiding her slightly reddened face, going in for a tight squeeze of appreciation. "Thank you again, Ren."

A look of surprise was exposed on his face, but then turned into a look of happiness, "My pleasure." He rested his hand on her head, reciprocating the sudden embrace, "See you tomorrow."

Shiho's heart was racing again and was taken aback from hearing Ren's suddenly race too. She was going to question the meaning of it, but she didn't want to ruin any of this, so she buried her curiosity and released him, heading into the train.

"Have a nice evening, Ren." She waved, stepping foot into the train.

"You as well, Shiho." He waved in turn.

He kept looking at her until the train began to head out. As the light reflected on the window, he saw a look of sadness on his face. He was beginning to wonder on why he had such an expression. Was it because of what's to come tomorrow? Was it because of what happened to Shiho earlier? Or was it because she was leaving? Those thoughts boggled in his mind as he was returning home.

"I thought I told you not to do anything stupid!" Is the first thing he received right when he walked into the café.

"Huh?" He looked over, falling out of his random trance, "Oh, no! This isn't caused by me!" He stated quickly, after noticing his shirt was damp, "This is by the cause of... personal matters." Ren looked down, remembering what he was told. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Better not be..." Sojiro said, giving him a look of suspicion.

"Yeah..." Ren sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm going to bed early. Goodnight." He smiled kindly while heading towards his room.

"Okay..." Sojiro said, curious on what happened, but didn't pry into what happened.

The adolescent was lost in thought again as he changed into his PJ's, _Here's to hoping tomorrow's going to be a better day... If not for me, then at least for Shiho..._ Once he wrapped himself into his blanket, he fell into a deep slumber, praying tomorrow will be a better day than the rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, let's see how this plan goes. Will it work? Or will it lead to something worse for the both of them? Until then...


	13. So Much for Luck

_Hm... Been awhile since I've actually slept well._ Ren sat up and stretched, _I'm surprised I didn't have that weird dream._ He rubbed the back of his neck, massaging the tension he felt, _A bit of bed sores, but nothing I should be complaining about._ He breathed out a laugh, getting up.

The teen got dressed, feeling a bit cheerful today. He found it a bit odd, but he felt he already knew the reason of his sudden happiness so early in the morning. Ren grabbed his bag and was about to head downstairs, but before he did, he felt a sharp pain pierce through his head.

 _Ugh... what the...?_ He fell to his knees, gripping the side of his head, _Not this again..._ The adolescent sighed deeply, growling with annoyance, _No... I'm not letting this migraine ruin today._ Ren shook his head, trying to ignore the pain.

"I'm heading out." Ren waved, reaching the door knob, about to walk out.

"Not wanting a quick bite before you head out?" Sojiro said, sliding a plate his way.

"Hm?" Ren looked back, a smile sliding across his face, _Huh... I guess my luck is turning_ _around._ He looked at Sojiro kindly, "Thank you."

"I had left overs and I don't want it to go to waste. Don't get the wrong idea." He looked away, _preparing_ coffee when truthfully just hiding his kind smile.

"Heh... still... thank you, Sakura-san." He bowed his head, giving him a kind grin.

"Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up and eat." He waved his hand, still not looking at the teen.

Ren cherished the mixed flavors from the curry Sojiro made. He fell in love since the very first bite. It had a bit of a kick the first time around, but that's what made it great.

"That was fast." Sojiro let out a small laugh, surprised on how fast Ren gobbled that down.

"Well, it can't be helped. It was very tasty." He smiled at him happily like a little kid. "Thanks again." He waved as he walked out.

"Mind flipping the sign on your way out? Thanks." Sojiro asked, as he saw Ren leave.

Ren nodded, flipping the sign. He noticed his reflection and was surprised to see a small smile across his face this morning. The young man never expected to see a smile on his face as his day begun. The teen was surprised, but was filled with content, hoping his day will go smoothly like this morning.

The adolescent reached school grounds and waited by the gate. _I wonder if she's here already?_ He scoped out the front of the school, trying to look for a familiar figure, but found nothing. _Damn it... I wish I traded contact information with her earlier._

He sighed deeply, wondering if he should look around the school, but before he stepped foot he was poked in the back. He jolted, feeling chills go up his spine. Ren spun around quickly, seeing who it was.

"Morning." Shiho smiled innocently.

"Goodness... Can't believe I got startled by a poke in the back..." He sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"By a girl no less." She stuck her tongue out teasingly.

"Hardy har har..." He gave a look of amusement, sticking his tongue out in turn.

"So how was your walk home? No issues?" Ren asked, curious.

"Yes, _father_. All was well. No detours. No interruptions. No issues whatsoever. It was smooth sailing." She smiled happily.

"I'm glad." He grinned, ignoring the word _father_ by the feel of relief, placing his hand on her head again.

Right when he placed his hand on her head, a sigh of happiness escaped Shiho. She closed her eyes while a soft smile slid across her face. The young woman didn't put any focus on her expression nor her action. Shiho just admired the feel of happiness, peacefulness and most of all safeness. It's been a long while since she has felt complete ease on school grounds. The young woman would always dread the days when it came to going to school. Yet with the presence of Ren, she felt she could make it through the days just like how Ren feels.

"Shall we go?" Ren held out his hand, giving a bright smile.

Shiho breathed out a small laugh. When she saw the brightness in his beam, she felt as though the sun was finally shining down on her. The adolescent felt completely warm just after seeing that grin. The teen didn't know how her day was going to be, but when she saw Ren's hand reach out towards her, she felt it was going to go well.

When they were getting ready to head towards the school building, they suddenly felt a sharp pain in their head, feeling as though they were being squeezed. They tried to shake it off, hoping the lightheadedness wouldn't last long. The two teens sighed deeply, not even noticing the other felt the same pain. They just buried it away and continued to head towards the school entrance.

They tried to ignore it as the young woman finally linked her hand with his and they both walked inside with a look of content. Once they stepped foot into the school building, they automatically heard rumors spread across school grounds, crashing towards them like a tsunami. They were both struck a bit by the words that grew.

"Can you believe what's going on?" One student whispered.

"Isn't that Suzui-san? One of Kamoshida's top team members? What is she doing with that delinquent?" Another spoke.

"Do you think that transfer student did something to be with her like this?" Another questioned with a wary tone.

"I feel sorry for her." Another said.

"I hope she doesn't get hurt." Another continued.

Shiho didn't want to make matters worse for Ren seeing as to how he was dealing with enough problems. She looked at Ren with a wary expression, wondering how he's taking it. If she saw a look of worrisome or embarrassment, she planned to instantly withdraw. Yet when she looked up at him, he didn't seemed too bothered with how the day started off. He looked like he wasn't bothered one bit. A smile grew on Shiho's face which led her to squeeze his hand as a giggle escaped. Ren was a bit startled, but looked at her with a gentle grin, squeezing her hand in turn.

Right when they both exposed a look of peace and happiness, acting as though everything around them didn't matter, it bewildered the other students. They were taken aback by how calm and content they were even under the pressure of rumors spreading around them as if cornering them in a line of fire. As the two teens continued to walk their merry way, the students still mumbled, but turned away, no longer having them as the breaking news.

"You okay, Shiho?" Ren whispered as he asked.

"Y-Yeah, all is well. How about for you?" Shiho asked in turn.

"All is--?!" Ren froze, feeling a strong chill strike through his body. The teen looked around, trying to find the source of it, but there was no one glaring at him. _I must be imagining things..._ He massaged the back of his neck, trying to release the tension he received from his sudden stiffness, "All is well..." He breathed out a laugh looking at her with a soft grin, not wanting to worry her, "Let's head to class."

"Okay..." Shiho said, following him. _I wonder what's bothering him._ As she thought that, she suddenly felt the same chill go up her spine. Shiho wanted to search for the cause of it, but didn't want to start her day off with deep concerns if she did find the source of it. The teen stayed on her toes though.

"So this is your classroom, huh?" He asked, opening the door for her, following behind her.

"Yeah. Just like every other classroom." She answered with a small laugh, heading towards her desk.

When she sat down, Ren knelt down, resting his arms and head on her desk looking at her with care. "You going to be okay?" He placed his hand on hers, making her face suddenly turn a little crimson.

She smiled bashfully, hoping not to draw attention towards them. She wanted to pull away, but also not let go of his big warm hand that always comforted her in an instant.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll be fine." She smiled gently.

"Okay." He gave a crooked grin before looking across the building, "Hm... looks like your friend isn't at school yet, huh?" He noticed no one was in front of his desk.

"No, she messaged me earlier today saying that she has a shoot going on in Shibuya today." Shiho responded, pulling out her notebook and setting it on her desk then picked out her phone, checking the messages again.

"Oh, speaking of messages, mind if we exchange contacts?" He pulled out his phone, holding it out towards her.

"Not at all." She handed hers over to him as she grabbed hold of his. "Hm? What's this glowing app?" Shiho questioned, puzzled since it covered part of his phone.

"Huh?" He peeked over, "Seriously? Again?" The teen with glasses sighed deeply, "Just ignore it." The young man tried to drag the app to the trash to delete it, but it didn't budge. "What the...?" Ren groaned lightly, a little irritated after seeing it grow again. He struggled to delete it once more, it was as if his phone froze.

"Um... Ren...?" Shiho tugged on his shirt.

"Hm? What is--!?" Ren flinched once seeing the whole area change. "Not this again!" His hands turned into tight fists, hoping this was all a dream, but nope, it was all too real.

"What do you mean _again_?" Shiho trembled, trying to take all of this in.

"I'll explain later. Firstly, let's find a way out of this nightmare." He stood up and looked around the room, "What is this room anyway?" Ren examined.

"A safe room." Somebody responded.

"Morgana?" Ren automatically knew.

Shiho tried to follow the sound. Once she found the source of it... "A-A t-t-talking m-m-monster looking cat?!" She fell back, terrified.

"I am NOT a CAT!" Morgana hissed.

"Yeah... he takes offense to that..." Ren whispered in her ear.

"How can you be so calm about this?!" She looked up at him, shocked.

"Seeing as to how we're in a safe room... I guess I can explain it?" Ren was a bit hesitant, but with the situation they were in, he felt this would be the best time to tell her.

"Then spit it out already!" Shiho shrieked.

"Do you know a student named Ryuji Sakamoto...?" He questioned first.

"Do you mean the traitorous track team member...?" Shiho answered with a question.

"Traitorous track team member?" Ren asked, curious.

"Oh! Um... forget I said that. Continue on your explanation." She bit her lips, zipping it.

"Okay..." Ren said, _I'll keep these questions in mind for when I see him next..._ The teen looked away for a second, trying to sort out how to respond to her, "Anyway... I'd like to say, don't think I'm crazy, but I wouldn't blame you if you did. Because I think I've lost it once I ended up here last." He looked around, dragging on.

"Get straight to the point already!" Shiho raised her voice, shaking by shock of her sudden reaction and by a bit of fear as she examined the area. "S-Sorry..."

"Um... n-no worries..." He laughed a bit, "A-Anyway, this place is--"

"A palace from last I saw." Morgana butted in.

"A palace?" Shiho questioned.

"A palace of someone's distortion. Ones desires I guess you could say." He continued, "This is the true side of ones real view. Ones illusion."

"Whose view is this then?" Her curiosity calmed her down a bit.

"Kamoshida's it appears." Ren replied.

"What...?" Shiho looked over, concerns beginning to rise. "This is how this jerk views our school?!" The young woman shouted.

Morgana and Ren flinched by her sudden change in tone. A little taken aback by the look of her anger.

"Y-Yeah..." Ren responded hesitantly, "I'm still new at this so we're in the same boat on this part."

"Anyway, I'll help you out. _Again._ " Morgana glared at Ren.

"What? This isn't my fault! I didn't say or do anything that could've led us here!" Ren stated. "This app just reappeared on my phone all by itself per usual!"

"Let me see that!" Morgana grabbed his phone.

"Hey!" Ren was a little agitated.

"Huh... it looks like it went haywire." He looked at it, seeing Ren's phone become static, "Did you break it or something?" He looked up at the unruly haired student.

"What? No!" He responded instantly, "At least I think not..." Ren then became curious, looking back.

 _Did I drop it when I fell earlier?_ He thought, _No... I don't recall anything of the sort. But..._ The teen felt doubtful.

"Anyway, let's save this for later. I don't want this young lady to get into any danger." Morgana tossed back his phone and headed towards the door. "Follow me and don't be stupid like that blondie okay?" He laughed as he opened the door slightly, peeking out.

 _Blondie?_ Shiho question, _No, no, no... I should just focus on escaping with them._ She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

"This way. We're not too far from the entrance this time." Morgana smiled, relieved.

 _Thank goodness..._ The two teens sighed with relief, but their relief got taken away when a shadow appeared only a few feet ahead.

"Halt right there!" The knight shouted, pointing out his sword.

"Seriously...? This again?" Ren groaned, _I hope--?! Well, guess luck is on my side again. For now..._ He sighed, getting in position to fight alongside Morgana again.

"Wh-What just happened!? Wh-Why did your clothes suddenly change!?" Shiho stepped back.

"I'll tell you once we're safe. Stay back." Ren said before getting in position for the fight, "Ready. Morgana?"

"Always." He responded with a laugh of confidence.

Shiho backed away, leading herself against a wall. The young woman didn't know how to take this. She was scared, confused, but most of all concerned. The jet black haired student was wary on how to handle this. She wanted to be of help, but she didn't know how seeing as to how she didn't have the same ability as Ren nor his ally.

As she did... "My, my... I didn't expect to see my little bunny hopping around here with that thief." A deviant laugh hovered above her.

She looked at the owner of the voice, leading herself to freeze. Her whole body trembled, fear stirring inside her. Her skin went as pale as a sheet of paper and she shook as though a gust of wind went straight through her whole body. She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell for help. But she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Before any noise could escape her lips, they were shielded by the hand of a knight as they carried her away, following behind the king. Once the fight was over, Ren looked over back where Shiho was, but saw no sight of her. He fell straight into panic mode, but tried to stay calm by the feel of determination.

"Morgana! We gotta find her." He stated looking in all directions, "Any idea what might have happened?"

"My assumptions are the guards." He did the same, "They might have taken her to the cells." Morgana took the lead.

"I hope we find her soon..." Ren prayed as he followed, "So much for a lucky day..."

The two looked all over as they ran through hallways. They finally heard a scream come from the west wing and Ren was the first to bolt. When he turned around a corner, he saw her over the shoulder on one of the knights. He dashed once his eyes set on hers.

"Ren!" She screamed out.

As he ran as fast as he could towards her, the world began to turn back into reality.

"What the...?" Ren ended up slowing down, coming to a halt once the whole castle turned back to it's original form. "No, no, NO!" He slammed his hands against the door, finding himself up at the door to the roof.

The teen looked at his phone, seeing it still going haywire. He clenched his phone tightly, filled with stress, frustration, and all around fear. The only next thing he could think of was to go see Ryuji, hoping he may have the same thing on his phone. Ren frantically looked around and finally caught sight of him near his classroom.

"Ryuji!" Ren yelled out as he ran up to him.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Ryuji asked, curious on what's going on and why he was being so frantic.

"I need your help!" He stated quickly.

"Why? What's going on!? Is it about..." He looked around suspiciously, lowering his voice, "...the castle...?" He whispered.

"Yes! And I need your help!" He responded hastily, "Do you happen to have the same thing on your phone?"

"What thing?" He pulled out his phone.

"That!" Ren pointed out, "That weird app is on your phone, too. Thank God..." He breathed out with a slight feel of relief.

"What the hell...? What's this eyeball-lookin' thing?" Ryuji was bewildered once seeing that on his phone.

"I don't know. It just appeared on my phone after I moved here." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease his muscles as he tried to figure out what to do. "Seeing as to how you have it too, it must be some sort of link to it."

"What a weird app..." He stared at it, lost.

"But how do we get back to that other world...?" Ren looked at it.

"It looks like tryin' to open it won't do much." Ryuji sighed deeply, tapping on it, "How the hell did it end up on my phone?"

"I don't know, but we need to find a way to get back to that other world." Ren answered.

"...Oh, wait, this is it!" Ryuji said, the app finally opening, "I knew it--it IS a navigation app! There's even your search history!" He lined together. "Oh man, I'm such a genius."

 _Yes, yes, I get it..._ Ren rolled his eyes, looking back at it. _Now please_ _let's_ _hurry!_

"Okay. Let's try usin' it." He looked at it again.

"Yes. But I don't know how." Ren frustratingly said.

"Why? All we're doin' is startin' an app." He responded.

"Okay, then let's hurry this up." Ren responded quickly.

"Why? What's going on?" He questioned.

"Suzui-san and I ended up in that other world. My phone's been acting up since this morning and it brought me back to the real world and..." Ren clenched his hands tightly, looking down, "Left Suzui-san behind..."

"What!?" Ryuji shouted, "We have to go get her back!"

"I know, but how?" Ren looked back at his phone.

The blond headed student clenched his phone, becoming frustrated, "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know! All I know is we can't leave her in the hands of that stupid Kamoshida."

Once the app was opened, it started to speak, " _Kamoshida... Shujin Academy... Pervert... Castle... Beginning navigation._ "

"There we go!" He looked at it like an excited child waiting to open his present, "...Then we went in a certain direction, and-- Hey, what're you--" He looked over at Ren before his eyes grew wide, "...Huh? What the hell!?" The surroundings suddenly changed around them.

"Time to get her back." Ren smiled with an expression of determination as the world began to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, let's see if he'll have enough luck to get her back. Until then...


End file.
